Gem of the Wilted Soul
by DarknessAngel013
Summary: CHAPTER 14 UP! Kagome is lonely and embarks on a strange quest to save herself from that same loneliness. But leaving her best friend wasn't really the smartest thing to do. Can she deal with the problems of a land lost in turmoil or will she crack? SesKa
1. Chapter 1

Gem of the Wilted Soul: Chapter One

Kagome sighed heavily as she rested her head against the Goshinboku's knotted trunk, completely exhausted.

Naraku had been defeated; the once sworn enemy of the group was gone. It was most likely because of the group's increase in size: the group had joined with Lord Kouga's wolf tribe and Lord Sesshomaru with his dragon steed; would they have requested, Sesshomaru's army would have followed as well.

Upon the request of Kagome: Ayame and her tribe of wolves had joined them as well. Though the tension between Kouga and Ayame never dissipated; they were more civil to one another as soon as Ayame had met InuYasha. Praise Kami! What a fit he had when that red-headed wolf demon started following him everywhere. Her excuse was that: 'he's a dog…close enough!'

Kagome had ended up alone after all the work she had went through to destroy Naraku. She had no intention of marrying Koga; he loved her but she would not be forced into love. She wanted to find her own love; hers and hers alone.

Kikyou had been put to rest when Naraku had confessed to his trespassing against her and InuYasha; InuYasha was heart-broken; he had loved her so deeply that it took weeks for the group to lift his spirits. Mind you, Kouga and Sesshomaru didn't help much. You could see the concealed laughter in their eyes. Kagome had wished many a time that those two also had beads around their necks.

Shippo had grown into a fine demon over the course of their travels. Though still small, his fox-fire had become almost as deadly as InuYasha's Soul Stealer. Her little kit was growing up; tears welled up in her eyes when she remembered that she would not be able to live long enough to see him grow into an adult.

Through her tears she spat out: "Stupid mortality."

There was only one other child she loved as her own: Rin. She might have lived long enough to see Rin grow up well.

Sadly though, Rin had died at the hands of Naraku. This is when they had become friends with Sesshomaru. She began to cry harder.

He could not be consoled at all after her death. He had said that the Tenseiga had refused his attempts to save her. Her body, he had said, was too greatly gone.

The miasma had killed her almost instantly and the poison almost entirely ate through her flesh. She let out a deep breath she didn't know she was holding.

All of Rin's efforts were to protect Jaken from being eaten by a demon on the castle grounds; apparently the guards had been taken over by Naraku and had tried to capture the girl for ransom of the Lord's surrender.

She was small yet she fought hard; one of Sesshomaru's men had taught her sword-fighting. She had managed to disarm three of them before Naraku had finished her off for her insolence. He apparently had thought of a more devious way of making Sesshomaru surrender.

Kagome had been his lifeline in a way; if she had not been in his vicinity when he broke out into a rage, he never would have calmed enough to listen to some sense. His heart had been wounded, that she could see. With proof that she meant no harm, the Tenseiga allowed her to get close enough to his beast to calm it. Since then, he had been one of her dearest friends and allies.

She had grown to love him and respect him. She didn't know, though, if he felt the same. Although, one day on the field, he had promised to die fighting for her if that meant that she survived to bring more light and happiness to those around her. That meant more to her than anything.

Sesshomaru would leave that morning. She had but 12 hours to decide upon what she would do. He had given her the choice that if she wanted to come to the palace and stay there, she could, or she could remain with InuYasha. In truth, she had no place to stay if she did remain in the warring-era and chose not to go with Sesshomaru.

InuYasha was a born-traveler and with Ayame tagging along, he would be more than busy.

Sango and Miroku were going to stay in the slayer village of Sango's childhood and rebuild it. There was no place for her there. They had the services of a monk so they did not need a priestess such as herself.

Shippo had been invited to stay at the castle as well; he was, technically, her son. He had called her Okaa-san since she had met him. Trauma had taken his parents and when she played a key role in avenging their death, she became his okaa; not that she minded or anything.

Then again, Kagome could go home. Though, did she really want to? Going home would mean giving up the chance of a lifetime: finding love. She knew that you could find love in her time but not true love. Everyone was so biased and greedy that no one could be completely trusted. Divorces happened every day. In this era, though, they married for life, or mated in a demon's case, and their love lasted forever. In rare cases it didn't, but the partner accepted that the love was lost and stayed with their partner anyway. Hearts were never broken in the feudal era.

Love. It was such a simple concept in the feudal era. She knew a few things. She loved Koga, she loved InuYasha, she loved her family, and she loved Shippo, but she also knew that her love for these people were different. This wasn't love as in marriage. This was love as in 'I'll never forget you and I'll never let you down.'

Then again, her love for Koga could become true love. There was no one there to take him from her; no other woman for him to go running off to. She could truly love the cocky bastard but she wanted to find that out for herself, not be pushed into it.

There was also something that she knew that no one else knew in her group. She knew about the Gem of the Wilted Soul.

This was no ordinary gemstone, though. It was a gem that housed a heart-broken soul of a priestess. If Kagome were to find this gem, it would lead her to her soul mate, and also there was something else it did but the scroll she had read didn't mention what. The page had been torn before she had found it.

There were times when she didn't want to find her soul mate. Questions ran through her head about things like looks, personality and other things she did not wish to think of again. Eventually she had decided to go for it.

The thing was: she needed someone to come with her, but who? She had her arrows but if she was surrounded, the arrows would do no help. Who would serve as the best protection out of her friends?

Everyone had their pros and cons. InuYasha had his temper. Sesshomaru had his urges to kill random things. Shippo was a little bit chicken and still developing in his skills. Miroku was a hentai. Sango was pre-occupied a lot; not to mention Kirara had just had kittens. Koga would insist on bringing the tribe and would try to seduce her on the way.

Who would she choose? She kept pondering and pondering that thought until someone broke the silence.

"Kags? You okay?"

"InuYasha, I am fine."

"You sure?"

"I'm just thinking."

"Hmmm….'bout what?"

"None of your business."

"It is too my business." At the moment she was not in the mood for this. She had to be by herself to think, and there was only one way to make him shut up.

"InuYasha…"

"Yea…"

"OSUWARI!" 'Thud' There would be an argument now and some swear words and then Sesshomaru would shove him back into the dirt for his foul mouth. It was like a daily ritual in her group of friends.

"What the HELL was that for WENCH?"

"InuYasha stop this foul behavior or this Sesshomaru will make you a permanent piece of landscaping."

"Fuck off, Sesshomaru."

"InuYasha stop it! Don't swear at Sesshomaru!"

"Fine then…Fucking wench, what the HELL was that for?"

"For not leaving me to my business and being nosy."

"Is that even a crime?"

"It is in my book!" She glanced at Sesshomaru, who was standing regally, waiting for her cue.

"Fuck your book!" She gave Sesshomaru the signal. That was one swear too many.

"InuYasha, watch your tongue in front of a woman. Especially one of such stature."

Okay, Kagome was officially confused.

"Stature? What did she ever do to deserve stature?" Inu--.

"More than you have done, but yet I gave you the title of Prince of the Western Lands, did I not?"

"Feh." --Yasha. She was getting angry. He was prying into Sesshomaru's business now.

"I have named her priestess of the Western Lands. A high honor; especially in the eyes of other priestesses. No other priestess has proven worthy. This is why she was invited to stay at the palace." InuYasha just scoffed, it was Kagome who replied.

"Oh…that's why…" Kagome then turned her gaze from him. He didn't love her, she was just his priestess. Now she needed that jewel. She had no one who truly loved her with all of his heart. She motioned for InuYasha to leave; this was not a conversation she wanted him to witness.

Sesshomaru then moved to sit beside her.

"Kagome…do you think that that is the only reason?"

"Yes."

"Then you are blind."

"Maybe I am. My heart seems to be." She glanced at the road. "I have to go. Your lives will go on without me; I have no doubt." She began to rise from her sitting position, her legs numb and bruised.

"Why do you wish to leave?" He sounded hurt. She truly hoped that the jewel would lead her to a person she could live with because she was leaving her best friend for him. He reached for her hand and she allowed him to lead her back down to the ground. This would be a long conversation.

"Because I have no place among demons, especially those who wish to use me as their slave. I no longer have to sense the shards for my first aggravator, so I shall not fall victim to the brother of that very same aggravator. But you are cunning, Sesshomaru, you wish to hide my enslavement with promises of glory." This hurt her to say and in her heart she knew it was a lie.

"I would never do such a thing to you! Do you not trust our friendship? The one you worked so hard to create? Do you not think I am not grateful to you for opening my heart to those around me? For letting me get over the death of…of…" He could not say her name.

Oh, how she cried for him in her heart. Oh, how she wished to stay with him and oh, how she wished for him to be her soul mate.

"…my ward. Do you not think that I am grateful to you for saving me from certain death because of that unimaginable grief?"

"Sesshomaru…I may return after my quest. This quest is important to me. I did not mean those cruel words I said earlier; I do value our friendship; more than my life itself, but I have to do this, even if you hate me for the rest your life; long after I am dead."

"Can I not ask what this quest is?"

"No…it is personal, but if it makes you feel better: I shall stay here three more days."

"Will you not rethink this at all?"

"No, my mind is set." Kagome then stood up. Sesshomaru stood along with her. "But I will stay…if only for three days…for you."

"That's all I could ask for."

Then she remembered that one fact she had forgotten. "Sesshomaru?"

"Hai?"

"Don't you leave in the morning?"

"Hai, which is why I thought you would reconsider your quest. I thought that you would come back with me to the palace, but obviously this quest bears a burden on you and you wish to go on it. I can only hope that you will come to the castle when you are finished."

"I can't be certain that I will return. My quest is very dangerous but I have no choice but to go through with it."

"Dangerous?"

"Hai, but that is none of your concern. I do not want to burden anyone with my protection any longer. You all have lives that you need to lead, and I will no longer be in your way."

"Nothing, to me, is more important than your safety."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I have no choice but to go with you."

"No, no, no. I told you, this quest is dangerous."

"Exactly. That is why I am going with you."

Uh oh, what was he up to?

"If you knew what this quest was, you would not want to come along. You would leave me to my business."

"Then tell me what this mysterious quest is then?"

"No."

"Hai."

"DINNER!" Sango interrupted the argument with her usual battle cry of 'dinner'; meant to bring all around to the campfire…or so she thought.

"HAI! I win!" Kagome jumped up, pushing Sesshomaru on the way.

"Oh no you don't" He got up and in a flash, Kagome was pinned.

"Argh! Sesshomaru!"

"Hai?"

"SHOVE OFF!" Kagome thrashed about underneath him, ever so often scratching her nails across his face. The little red markings were soon gone however and all of her struggling ended when Sesshomaru began to laugh.

His laugh was hypnotizing; pulling her in and amazing her in the process. She had never heard him laugh, but then again before she had become close with him, she had never seen him truly smile either.

His smiles always meant death for the one he smiled at, but not when he smiled at her. When he smiled at her he was truly happy and that made her feel like the most important person in the world. Right now, he was making her feel childish. _SO not cool!_

"What are YOU laughing at? Do you find it funny that you have me pinned beneath you? Well? Do you?" Kagome gave him a sarcastic, yet questioning look; she really did want to know what was so funny.

"I am laughing at the fact that 1) you think you can hurt this Sesshomaru and 2) that you are currently displaying the youkai sign of submission…usually to her _mate._" Sesshomaru stressed the word mate before starting to giggle again. Well, you couldn't really call it giggling but he wasn't laughing out loud now. He hardly was making a sound, but his eyes told all.

His eyes had always given away everything he was thinking. When he was laughing or thoroughly enjoying himself, they sparkled. When he was with her his eyes held an unknown understanding in their depths. He never had that look with anyone else.

When he was with InuYasha, his emotions never stayed the same. Sometimes anger would flit in and out of his golden orbs and sometimes there would be calmness…and once there was even respect. When he had been around his ward and was around Shippo, warmth filled those pools of gold. Around Sango and Miroku, there was respect and around Jaken, there was nothing.

She loved the look he gave the children the most. It was as if he was a whole different person around them and she loved that part of him. When he killed she did not love him as much, but respected him more, but when he came back to them, bloodied and tired, and Shippo came to him and comforted him, she loved him, oh how she loved him. Her love for him had grown farther than her love for InuYasha would have ever been, even if she would have pursued it, but she knew, somewhere in her heart, that Sesshomaru would never feel the same way.

Kagome sighed as her mind brought her back to reality. It was only then that she realized the full affect of what Sesshomaru had said.

"Now why would you mention that unless you _wanted_ me to know the courting rituals for demons. Obviously, you have some ulterior motive."

Sesshomaru stopped laughing and looked at the smirking ningen beneath him. "Oh? And why would I have an ulterior motive, ne?" He gave her a flirtatious, yet questioning, look.

"I don't know, Sesshy, why don't you tell me?" Kagome gave him a sarcastic glare as she said the name 'Sesshy', he hated being called that.

"Well, wench, I would have to say it is because you know far too many youkai for my taste that, how would you put it, _like _you and I would not want to be pulled into an unnecessary battle with a lesser demons, far below my stature, especially over a ningen such as yourself." Sesshomaru then stared right at Kagome and his eyes changed. There was a sudden seriousness within them, and it chilled Kagome to the bone.

"Well, I do NOT want to be a bother to you, oh great _taiyoukai_, so now could you please GET OFF!" Kagome then pushed on the now, stunned Sesshomaru's chest, and flipped him off of her. Tears poured from her eyes. _Damn, how could I have been so STUPID, _she cried in her head. "I think I'll be leaving early, Sesshomaru-_sama_! Good-bye!" Kagome then jumped up and ran back to the camp.

"Kagome…" Sesshomaru stared in awe at where his friend had once sat before him. _What have I done:_ he asked himself. He then placed his head in his hands and was almost on the verge of crying, but he stopped himself. He _never _cried. At least, he hadn't cried, since his mother had died. There was hardly ever a reason to cry. There was no one he truly cared for enough to cry for. Well, there was Rin but he hadn't cried over her. He had been in such a rage over her death that he had not the capacity to cry. His heart had frozen over on that day and he had promised himself that it would forever stay that way. That is, until he met Kagome. _How could I have been so stupid as to let her go like that! Why did I even say that to her! She means more to me than anything and yet I went and ruined it all! God, I was so close. I was so close to asking her and now she's off on some strange quest and she's left without me! Knowing her powers, she'll cover scent and aura and I'll never find her! _

_Baka…:_

_Who are you?_

_:Your inner self:_

_Why do you choose now to speak to me?_

_:Because you need me:_

_Why do you say that, beast?_

_:Because you just insulted and drove off our intended:_

_How did you know that I was going to ask her?_

_:Because I am a piece of you and I know what you feel because I feel the more primal versions of what you do:_

_Sometimes I wish that I would have had my mother for a little longer. She would have taught me of these feelings. I do not even know what I am feeling now. I would appreciate you telling me what I am feeling but I don't think you know. _

_:I know a little more than you do. I know what it's called. This is a mainly human emotion but demons are sometimes blessed to feel it. They only feel it when they find their soul mates and bind themselves together with an emotional bond like you and our intended share. You two hold an understanding that reaches far beyond the capacity in which normal youkais can feel. You have found your soul mate. This strange emotion is called love:_

_And I went and sent her away with my stupidity. Now she will never come back to me. _

_:Inner beasts can see some of what lies ahead; we have a little of the seer abilities. I see that our intended will return but she shall be on the brink of death and she will no longer trust us. If you do not convince her to stay with us in this world of the living: her death will kill us both:_

_Kagome is going to be injured? I cannot let this happen! I have to follow her! I will not let my intended be injured because I sent her away! I will not live with the fact that I let her feel pain! I promised I would die fighting for her and I will live up to that promise! _

_:Calm yourself, taiyoukai! This part of your future has been set in stone! She shall not let us find her and I will make sure we are here waiting for her when our intended returns to us! She is on a quest that will change all of our lives. Ours and hers. We need to be waiting for her:_

_But…_

_:No. I am leaving now and I expect you to behave yourself, taiyoukai. I do not wish to have to come out and take control of your instincts:_

_Never shall I let you take over me…grrrawr…I am far too strong!_

_:Conceded pup! I am your strength! I am your mind! Learn your place, pup, and do NOT growl at me. I am the feral one! I would think that the great taiyoukai of the West would show some respect to the creature that helped him gain his title:_

_Gomen ne, beast, I shall no longer growl. But do NOT expect me to let you take over my better instincts. She is MY Kagome and if I wish it, I shall follow her!_

_:I do not care if we follow her as long as we are back immediately after we find ourselves unsuccessful to await the return of our other half:_

_Other half?_

_:No more questions. If you do not hurry, you will lose your chance to see her go:_

Then the beast quieted, leaving a very confused inu sitting there on the ground. Soon he was up and moving again, though, heading the way his 'soul mate' had went.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Don't look at me like that. It's not like I was going to stay forever! You guys are all gonna' go off on your own and you'll leave me here to rot! Might as well get while the going is good." Kirara looked up at Kagome; confusion flitted in her eyes as she watched over her twelve two-tailed kittens, while paying attention to her miko friend's voice.

"Mow?" Kirara then stood and began rubbing her body against Kagome's bare legs. "Mow?"

Kagome merely stared. _I'm ranting to a cat who doesn't even understand me! Kami! What have you done to me!_ "Kirara, stop it." The cat kept rubbing against Kagome. "Stop it. NOW!" The cat then stopped and hissed at Kagome's outburst as her eyes went straight to her kittens. _Great! Now Kirara thinks I'm going to kill her kittens. BEAUTIFUL! _Then Kagome gave a last glance at the demon and hurried away.

"Kagome! Okaa! Look at what I found!" Shippo then came pounding up the hill, flailing a blue shell. "Isn't it pretty, Kagome? It was in the house by your bag. Can I have it, Kagome? Can I? Can I?" Kagome examined the shell closely and then snatched it away.

"No. You cannot have it, Shippo. AND this was not by my bag. It was in Sesshomaru's room, was it not?"

Shippo looked up at her, terrified. "How did you—"

"Sesshomaru showed this to me when he first became my friend, Shippo. Rin found it right before she died and gave it to Sesshomaru as a going away present. He cherishes it very much." Kagome then turned away in order to wipe tears from her eyes. "Would you please return it to him, personally, Shippo?"

Fear and anger clouded the kit's face. "NO! I hate him! He didn't take care of my sister! He let her die! I should get to keep that shell! AND he scares me, Kagome. He SCARES me!" Shippo then collapsed onto the ground, sobbing. "Rin was my little sister, Kagome. She promised me so when we met her in the woods on the way to fight Kagura and Kanna. She said that when the fighting was over that she would let me live with her in the castle. She said that Sesshomaru would let me stay. I don't want to go now. Rin is gone. Sesshomaru let her die." He wiped his nose on his kimono sleeve and then looked Kagome in the eye. "You love Sesshomaru don't you?"

Kagome's mouth almost fell to the floor. "Now where—"

"Kagome, I saw it when you loved Inu-baka and I see it now. When you are in love, okaa, your eyes glow and your cheeks turn pink. You look like an angel when you're in love. But how could you love him, Kagome? How could you love the one who let Rin die?"

"Because he loves more than anyone I have ever known. He loved Rin with such ferocity that he combined with his so-called brother to save her. He loved his mother so much, he stayed by her while she lay dead, at a very young age, his hand coated in her blood. InuYasha never loved like that. InuYasha has a cold heart that feels empty love. Sesshomaru has a locked heart that keeps those he loves trapped inside. But my love for him is a foolish one. He will never love me like he loved them. I am but a ningen. Not an innocent child or great demoness. I am merely Kagome: girl who falls for guys who won't ever love her." With that she handed the shell back to Shippo and fluffed his hair. _Maybe I could stay one more night. Just one. _She was truly considering it until she heard a deep baritone behind her.

"Kagome, look at me Kagome." _Sesshomaru. _

_:Don't look at him you baka! He doesn't deserve you:_

"Sesshomaru, is there something you need. If not I have to be going." Hearing nothing, Kagome began walking down the hill, leaving two very confused and hurt youkai behind her.

"Sesshomaru! You killed okaa too! There's no more light! What did you do, you baka!" Sesshomaru turned a saddened face to the young kitsune.

"Too? Who else have I done this damage too besides Kagome, as you say?" He then replaced his stoic mask as he awaited the young boy's reply.

"Me." Then he felt an object thump to the ground at his feet. It was a blue shell. _Rin. _Then he kneeled to the ground beside the fallen shell and wept. He wept for the death of his ward; his daughter, though he had told no one but Rin and Kagome and Rin had never called him chi-chi-ue, as most younglings called their father. He was merely Sesshomaru-sama. Then he wept for the loss of his love. Had he really killed her? _No. I will not let it end this way. I will not let the light fleet from her eyes. Never will I let her become like me. Cold and loveless. I wish her to feel wanted, accepted, cherished, and loved. Even if it will not be me. _

_:You cannot let that happen, taiyoukai:_

_You again?_

_:She cannot fall for another:_

_If she cannot love me, then why not let her love and be loved by another? She deserves that much._

_:It will kill you--:_

_Let me die! Look at what I have done!_

_:and her.:_

Then the voice was gone as soon as it had arrived and Sesshomaru was once again left speechless. _'And her'—NO! I will not let her die my mistakes! _So, with renewed vigor, he followed Kagome once again.

At the camp

"Sango! Miroku! Kami, where are you? I need to talk to you!" Kagome was shouting throughout the camp as she gathered the supplies she would need for her quest. "Could you come out for just once sec? That's all I ask! One measly second! SANGO! MIROKU!" Kagome then gave up. Her voice was shot and she was tired. She would have to stay one last night, if she was to have enough energy to stay alive the next day. So, she decided to make herself useful, by starting a fire.

As sparks flitted around the newly chopped firewood, Kagome began to sing. It was a song from the future and it fit her current emotions quite nicely. So she began to sing, slowly and mournfully.

"Sometimes I'm selfish fake. You're always a true friend. And I don't deserve you. 'Cause I'm not there for you. Please forgive me again. I wanna' be there for you. Someone you can come to. Runs deeper than my bones. I wanna' be there for you. I wanna' be there for you." As the verse paused she threw another piece wood into the fire, little did she know someone was listening in the shadows; someone who was feeling her pain.

She began the second verse as the flames picked up intensity. "Swirling shades of blue. Slow dancing in your eyes. Sun kisses the earth. And I hush my urge to cry, cry. I wanna' be there for you. Someone you can come to. Runs deeper than my bones. I wanna' be there for you. I wanna' be there for you" When the second verse ended, the person in the shadows stepped out, but was still out of Kagome's view. It was Sesshomaru.

Kagome began the third verse with tears in her eyes. She was reflecting on all that was happening. And it hurt. "'Cause I hear the whispered words. In your masterpiece beautiful. You speak the unspeakable truth. I love you too. I wanna' be there for you. Someone you can come to." Just as Kagome was easing herself into the final chorus, she heard a male voice join in with her. Together they sang the chorus.

"I wanna' be there for you." Sesshomaru started.

"Someone you can come to." Kagome replied.

"The love runs deeper than my bones." Then Sesshomaru brought it to a close and they sang the last line in perfect harmony as Sesshomaru stepped closer to Kagome and ran a clawed hand through her hair.

"I wanna' be there for you." Kagome then stood up abruptly and ran from the campsite, tears flooding down her face as she put up barriers behind her to keep the others away.

Sesshomaru merely stared and watched her go before he too, stood and ran. They ran for different reasons, of course. Sesshomaru ran to calm his frazzled nerves so he could think up a way to find Kagome again.

Kagome ran, trying to run away from the fact that she had just witnessed Sesshomaru professing his love to her. _IN SONG DAMMIT! Why do the ones who do it song always get to me! STUPID EMOTIONS! Those weren't even the words to the song,_ she realized when she had begun to doubt the sincerity in his declaration. He had truly meant it and now she was running away.

"The jewel will tell. It will not lie or deceive. It will tell me who the gods created for me; just for me. If it's Sesshomaru then I'll know that I was stupid to run but if it's not then I will know that I had made the right choice." _Do I really believe that? No. But it sounds better than the truth. _

_:What is the truth:_

_That I love him. I love him more than I have ever loved anyone._

_:Then why are you running? Love is better than death. This quest of yours may very well kill you! If it doesn't you might be disappointed with your soul mate, ne? He could be ugly or--:_

_SHUT UP! I have gone over this in my mind a hundred times and I know that I must go through with it! Stupid conscience, you don't know anything._

_:I know all that you know. I just interpret it differently:_

_Sure you do. If that's true then why do I have this sinking feeling I am going to love my soul mate?_

_:You love only one and he is right there. Right there for you.:_

_I know but that is why I must be sure. I don't want anymore heartbreak._

_:What if you get Kouga:_

_SHUT UP! _

_:Just a thought. He is pretty sure you're his mate so maybe ookami youkai have an insight into who the god's pick for them:_

_Kami. They better not._

_:I bet you they will…I mean he's not ugly…:_

_STOP! You're putting those thoughts in my head…they're…they're…_

_:Hentai-ish:_

_No…umm…maybe?_

_:Ha ha: _

_SHUT UP! _

_:No, I like talking to you. It gives me more of an insight into what exactly is going on in your head: _

_Nothing is going on in my head!_

_:Except an argument, apparently:_

_Grrr….SHUT UP!_

_:You sound like a youkai when you do that:_

_Grrr…_

_:Are you sure you are ningen:_

_BARK!_

_:Kami above! She's gone wild:_

Then the voice was gone and Kagome kept barking. She didn't know why or how she was doing it; all she knew was that she was and that it was loud. Her throat, and chest were vibrating and it felt weird.

"This would be one of those times I wished I had Kaede—grrr—or Sango—grrr—or maybe even Miroku—grrr—or InuYasha—grrr—"

_: What about Sesshomaru:_

_I can't think about him right now. He needs to be forgotten for the time being. _

_: You do realize that he would be the one to help, correct:_

_No and why?_

_: Because he is an inu-youkai_:

_But so is InuYasha—grrr—_

_: No, he is an inu-hanyou:_

_Would that really make a difference—grrr—?_

_: Yes, it would make a world of difference:_

_Grrr—I don't care! I don't want to think about him! Grrr—because I know that if I do, I'll want to go back to him and I just can't handle that right now! Grrr! _

_: Stop growling at me:_

_GRRRRR!_

_: EEP:_

The voice was gone and Kagome was left voiceless, literallyShe couldn't talk at all. So she thought about all she had done in the past weeks preparing for her quests. Had she done something to herself?

"Grrr…" So she pondered until she came upon the answer.

**FLASHBACK**

**Kagome looked at the old, tattered scroll with interest. It was the only thing in the castle that she had even a remote interest in. InuYasha, of course, had come in here, saying he had smelled Naraku, but they hadn't seen hide nor hair of him anywhere in the area to prove his theory. **

"**Baka…he probably smelled Kikyou or Kohaku. Baka." She then almost screamed when a very tall male stepped up behind her.**

"**Kami! Sesshomaru! Don't do that!" She then pocketed the scroll and turned to look at the Western Lord.**

"**Kagome, you are too easily frightened." He then placed on a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her nerves.**

**She sighed. "I was NOT frightened, merely surprised. " Then she gave him a very fake and very stupid smile, in hopes that he would drop the subject.**

"**That could be true but it is highly doubtful considering that quite questionable smile across you face."**

"**Umm…do I have to comment on that?" Then she broke out into giggles as Sesshomaru stared at her, silent as ever, but as usual, with her at least, his eyes showed _some_ amusement before they turned back to stoic normalcy. **

"**Will you be fine alone, Kagome? I have to go and find InuYasha. I think he has been mistaken again. Naraku is most definitely _not_ here. But you most likely already knew that, didn't you?"**

"**Yes I did already know that. I cant sense his shards and he has more than any of us so their signal should be strong but I sense nothing. And to answer your earlier question, I will be fine." **

"**That's good to know." Then he walked away, his tail flitting back and forth as he went. When she was sure he was gone, she pulled out the scroll again. **

"**The Gem of the Wilted Soul is a powerful gem created from the soul of a broken-hearted miko named Shi Ruilun. She had fallen in love with a man named Hu Zhaoying, a demon from the Northern Spider youkai tribe. But Hu only wanted the power she possessed for his own benefit. **

**Hu was youkai, but a weaker one, and he wanted his heirs to be the most powerful in the history of the lands. Miko youkai would be all powerful if they were to survive birth. They would, he had decided, if he did not actually mate with Shi but only implanted her with his seed. Hu did not love Shi, he only loved her power."**

**Kagome sighed before continuing. "When Shi found out his intentions, she was pushed into a terrible rage and ended up killing Hu in the process. Shi, though, was still in love with Hu and was, upon his death, cast into a depression that led to her suicide and the creation of the jewel. The jewel, when used with the proper incantation, will help the user find his or her soul mate and if that soul mate is demon it will—" The scroll was ripped there. There was two full paragraphs missing which troubled Kagome until she saw the next paragraph, it held the incantation. **

**Kagome took a deep breath and began the incantation. Little did she know the trouble she was getting herself into. "Eleka nahmen nahmen  
Ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen. Shi nahmen ah tum shi ah." Soon Kagome was falling and then it all went black. **

**When she awoke, she was laying in the fluff of Sesshomaru's tail on his lap. She had InuYasha's fire rat spread out over her bare legs and Shippo was curled under her right arm with Kirara curled under her left. She only acknowledged one of them.**

"**I guess I wasn't fine, was I, Sesshomaru?" A lazy eye opened at the sound of her voice and looked down. **

"**Iie, you weren't fine, were you , Kagome?"**

"**I guess not." Then she snuggled into his tail as he ran his fingers down her back, comfortingly. Soon she was asleep and so was he. **

**END FLASHBACK**

She had done this to herself. She had said the incantation. That must have been what the other two paragraphs were about. The other thing that the gem did was turn humans into youkais, or at least that's what it looked like. It was most like more complicated but she hadn't the time to think about it. Kagome had to figure out how to fix herself before she became a full demon.

She needed Sesshomaru now. If she began to change then she would be in great pain, she expected, for a few days; this would be plenty of time for a few hungry youkai to come and devour her. Personally, she didn't like the idea of being devoured. But, alas, she had run away from him, put up barriers, and didn't have any voice to call him. _Perfect! I am one smart girl, ne? Kami! What the hell is wrong with me! Grrr—I cant stop growling and barking—grrr—and I have no control over my body hardly anymore. _Her leg was compulsively twitching at that moment and it wouldn't stop. She had the strange idea to try and scratch her ear, but her normally human, mind stopped her before she could make herself look like an idiot.

She tried again to speak: "Grrr—Sessh—Grrr—woof—o—grrr--ma—grr—roooo!" She sounded like a wolf howling at the moon. Not to mention, she was probably attracting the attention of quite a few inu youkais and ookami youkais. _Great…Inu-baka and Yasei-ookami. _"Grrr…"

Giving up on speaking, she laid her head down on the ground and tried to sleep; just as she had predicted, she couldn't. Her leg was still twitching like mad, and she was on the verge of crying. She needed Sesshomaru and she had just stubbornly ran away from him when he had offered to be there with her. _Baka...I hate being so blind to everything…_

She had just begun to relax when pain hit her full on: all the way down her body. It was beyond intense. It was as if a thousand knives were being thrust into every one of her muscles and all the way down her spine. Every fiber of her being screamed at her and she felt her control slipping. Her body forced her into a standing position as the invisible assault continued. She doubled over in pain as her felt a stabbing pain in her gut. She looked like a creature from a horror movie, more than she knew.

Little to her knowledge, her body was changing. Her muscles were hardening and her spine was straightening. Her stomach was changing and her appearance was so different that is seemed like the old Kagome had never been there.

Her canines were growing longer and more sharp while the rest of her teeth grew and flattened out. Her nails were stretching to immeasurable length and turning a strange silvery color. Her raven hair was growing longer and thicker while little white highlights fell into place throughout the raven tendrils; it was as if her body was reacting to her pain by aging her more gently.

Her eyes were changing from a deep brown to warm honey color and she was growing in height. Her once 5'2" form was changing to a form almost as tall as Lord Sesshomaru himself.

Kagome didn't notice these changes however. Her rational mind was no longer in control and all she could feel and think about was the pain and how her body was screaming. She didn't even notice that she had absentmindedly put down every barrier she had put up, and the cavalry was coming. And they weren't pleasant visitors.

Every youkai from the North to the South was being drawn by the immense power her body was giving off and they wanted it. The males wanted to mate her, and the females wanted to kill her off in order to keep their mates. Nothing drew youkai males more than power. It didn't help any that this transformation had happened on the first day of her cycle. Or what youkai called it: her heat.

Youkai heat drew males to that said female, especially if she was unmarked, as Kagome currently was, and if they were extremely powerful, because, during their time of heat, females were extremely vulnerable.

Kagome was oblivious to all these facts as she stood there, bent over and screaming in pain. She was oblivious to the fact that if she wasn't killed that night, she would be forced into a commitment that would ruins all of her plans.


	3. Chapter 3

-1Chapter Three

"You look at me like I'm crazy or something! I smell her; I really do this time!" Koga sneered down at his comrades as they shook their heads in disbelief.

_They do not believe that I actually smell Kagome! Grrrawr…they are supposed to be my pack brothers. They'll see, though. She might smell different but I know its still Kagome!_

"We are going to follow my nose, whether you like it or not! We are going to the Eastern Land! Follow!" Just as Koga had predicted, the wolves and the ookami-youkai followed his lead. A pack would never leave their leader.

Koga had started to sense Kagome somewhere near the Western Land; InuYasha's forest, to be exact. Strangely though, there was a huge blast of powerful youkai jaki that had come from the same direction as Kagome's scent. The blast wasn't that of an angry youkai but more of a pained youkai.

Koga had thought, at first, that Kagome was with Sesshomaru or InuYasha and was probably purifying the stupid youkai, but that wasn't the case, apparently, because the blast kept coming; pulsing in the same rhythm as if the creature was sending out a distress signal.

Then he had realized it: this was the pulsing of a female youkai in heat and by the feel of the pulses: she was very, very, powerful. In addition, of course, she was near Kagome: which meant that his intended was in potential danger.

Therefore, he had changed his direction and had begun heading toward the Eastern Lands, in pursuit of the pulsing. The pulsing that no one in his pack but him could feel. The pulsing that called to his inner beast and urged it to take control of Koga. However, Koga would have none of that. He had to save his intended and fast.

Females in heat tended to be quite impulsive and fierce when they were unmarked and this female was most definitely unmarked. Females that were in heat pulsed until a male claimed them, their mate re-marked them, or until the heat finally gave out. This pulsing had gone one several hours and males never let their mates go that long before re-marking them. For one thing, his mother had told him, it was _extremely_ painful to be in heat, especially being un-marked.

If a female did not become marked during their heat, they usually died; not from the heat itself, but from the exhaustion that came afterwards.

The weaker females slept for several days and were usually ravaged and murdered in their sleep.

The stronger females for a few hours and were either raped by a passing male or killed by demon-slayers who had sensed their strong presence. Either way, it was not good.

It was not as if Koga cared at all; it was just that he had nothing else to think about during the pack's trip to the east; the pack would hardly speak to him so he was forced to stew over long-forgotten thoughts that had shot up the spurts from a geyser or volcano. Usually thoughts about his mother or about things his mother had said to him in his younger years.

Koga didn't blame the pack for not believing him. As they had begun traveling: Kagome's scent had changed. It was as if her scent had mingled with that of the female youkai's scent. It had changed so much that only Koga could still tell that Kagome was even there. The others had lost her scent completely.

"Stop looking at me like that, Ginta. I smell her; plain as day! She's right there with that female youkai I know you all can smell and because you guys wasted my time, she's probably dying or dead!" Koga growled at one his closest friends, a little hostile than he had wanted to but, still, Ginta seemed to move faster at the thought of his pack-sister dying because of him.

Ginta turned and looked Koga in the eye. "Koga, I can't smell sister anymore. Are you sure we are going in the right direction?"

Koga growled again. "Yes. I'm sure, but it doesn't matter! If I were to walk into a poisonous snake trap right now, you'd have to follow. Packs follow their leaders so you, and everyone else, get over the fact that you think I'm wrong. To you, anything I do is right. Got it?"

Ginta nodded and the rest of the pack hurried their pace, to Koga's pleasure. _Kagome, I'll find you! _

When everything had seemed to be going good, it happened: the pulsing stopped and Koga realized that there was not only one scent coming from direction of Kagome. It was Kagome and it was another youkai, a male. The female scent was still there but it was intermingled with Kagome's. Whatever was happening, it could _not_ be good.

With Kagome

Kagome groaned as she opened her eyes. Every part of her body was swollen and raw. It felt like every piece of her flesh was burning and peeling. It felt like a really bad sunburn and Kagome still had no clue as to why.

Kagome rolled over in an attempt to sit up and heard a deep menacing growl from across the clearing; it was a huge bear youkai.

Saliva dripped from its black maw as it pawed its way over to where Kagome was laying. Kagome shook in fear as it approached her and sat down in the dirt, almost lazily.

Right before Kagome's eyes, the bear reverted back to its human form. Its black fur turned to a long and tangled mass of raven hair and its huge hunched body turned to that of an average human male. Correction: a very _masculine _human male with dazzling hazel eyes and royal robes on who looked to be quite a bit older than Sesshomaru but he was still hot.

:_ Though not as hot as Sesshomaru…:_

_Shut up._

_: You know it's true! You can't argue with that logic:_

And Kagome couldn't because, for once, she agreed with the voice. Especially now that she got an actual good look at the man before her: he was old enough to be Sesshomaru's father. She shuddered and clamped her eyes shut.

Then Kagome blinked: hard.

When her eyes had refocused on reality she looked at herself. She was wearing absolutely nothing and her skin seemed slightly tanned. Her legs seemed longer too, along with her arms, which she had lifted to gather her blanket out of her backpack. Her nails were a silvery color and as she glanced over at the small pond of water to her left, she noticed that her hair was longer and it had white highlights in it. She looked ten years older, but in a good way.

Her mouth opened into an 'o' shape as she gasped and turned from the pond. Then she closed her mouth and bit her lip, a little too hard apparently because it began to bleed.

Just as she was about to dab the blood off her lip, the metallic taste was gone: the lip had healed almost as quickly as it had been torn.

It was then that she finally began to sob. She was so confused! She was sitting naked in the middle of a clearing with a completely changed appearance.

As her third round of sobs shook her body, the memories of the previous night flooded her mind. She remembered the pain, the barking, and the flashback. She remembered the screaming and how her mind wouldn't let her say what she wanted to. It wouldn't let her call out to Sesshomaru.

Then she remembered the howls and mating calls of the inu-youkais and ookami-youkais in the distance before she had passed into unconsciousness.

Then her most recent memory hit her: the bear youkai. Kagome looked up and saw him sitting there, as if she were invisible to him. His hazel eyes just stared into the distance of the clearing in almost boredom.

"Hey…" she faltered, "you. You there! What do you want with me?" She glared at the man as she covered herself with her blanket in attempt to shield her body from his gaze. It worked, mostly. Her long legs and the tops of her breasts stuck out from under the fabric.

Then she began cursing at him, earning herself no attention from the bear but it seemed that every time she tried to move, he would look at her and give her a reprimanding look before settling back in his position.

Kagome had almost given up completely when she had an idea: maybe this youkai only understood the old language. So she tried, once again, to communicate with him.

"**Excuse me? Could you tell me what the hell you're doing here? Or could you tell me what the hell happened to me?_"_**The bear looked up at her and smiled.

"**Such foul language for a young woman." **Then he laughed. **"But you do have some intelligence. You realized that I only respond to the old language."**

"**Is that supposed to be a compliment? If it was, I don't really give a care about what you think of me. I only want you to tell me what happened to me and then leave me the hell alone." **She glared at him as his eyes danced in amusement.

"**Tatsuki will just simply adore you. You have such fire." **He then stood and flipped his bag off of his shoulder. He shifted through it and pulled out a silver kimono and black sandals. **"Here. You shall wear this. Even though you and Tatsuki will be mated, I do not want you to seem to him like a wanton. A women that marries into the royal house of the South must retain some dignity." **He handed the kimono to her.

"**Who the hell is Tatsuki? And what makes you think that I will mate him? Besides, humans don't mate youkai." **She smiled at herself. Even though she looked different, she still was human. Wasn't she?

"**You, wench, are no human. You are most likely the most powerful demoness in all of the four lands and you will mate my son, Tatsuki, whether you wish to or not. You are in no position to fight me. After your transformation, you must be truly exhausted. Now, put the kimono on and follow me. We have a long walk ahead of us." **He threw the sandals at her, returned to his original position, and watched her with hatred-filled eyes.

"**Fine. I shall go with you but I cannot promise that I will not fight when your bastard son tries to make a claim on me. I am weak now but I will not be in a few days, I assure you." **He laughed at her and smiled.

"**You cannot defeat my son. He is one of the most powerful demons in the land and I will not allow you to fight him. You will submit or you will forfeit your life." **Then he walked out of the clearing, only to come back with a black dragon with red eyes. By this time, Kagome was already changed into the silver kimono and was packing her belongings.

**"If you think your son is so powerful: then let me fight him. If he is as powerful as you say then I will be defeated. If he does not kill me, I will submit. I do not fear death, so I shall either fight him, lose and submit, just plainly be killed, or I will fight and he will be killed which, according to you, is highly unlikely to occur. Still, it is your choice." **She glared at him as he weighed over the options in his mind.

**"You shall not fight him. You shall submit."**

She laughed at him this time: **"You fear a woman?"**

He glanced at her with irritation splaying in his hazel orbs as he said: **"No."**

**"Then why may I not fight him if you do not fear me?"**

He sneered at her. **"Fine. You may spar with him. I know you cannot kill him, so what have I to fear?" **He then walked to her and scooped up her bag.

She smiled. **"Absolutely nothing. The name is Kagome, not wench, bitch, or girl, got that?"**

He glanced her way with a wicked smile on his face. **"My name is Lord Kitsubi of the Eastern Land. You shall refer to me as Lord or master, is that clear?"**

She just kept smiling. **"Crystal." **

When the Lord had finally turned away from her, Kagome glanced at the trees. _Thank Kami that I let Koga keep those damn jewel shards! I can sense them! He's coming for me! _

Though Kagome did not particularly want to be lectured by the over-protective wolf prince, she was glad he was so in love with her. Every time that he sensed her, he came. No matter where he was or what he was doing, he would give it up to come and see her. Now that was coming in handy. The question was: did Kitsubi know that he was coming?

Kagome couldn't take any chances so she sent a aura and scent hiding barrier Koga's way. It would cover his and his pack's scent and their youkai aura from Kitsubi. They could sneak in without being sensed.

Kagome had been taught another power besides being able to send barriers. She had learned how to convey telepathic messages so she called upon that power now in order to warn Koga.

She spoke in a hushed tone as she said the incantation and then she began sending the message:

/Koga, I am not alone/ There is a man here with me that is taking me to the Southern Palace/ He wants me to mate his son, Tatsuki/ Help me, Koga/ I need you/ I have covered yours and your packs scent with a barrier so you can use stealth in order to save me/ He will not be able to sense you at all/ If you stay out of sight you can attack with speed and stealth and save me/ When you see me, do not be alarmed by my scent or appearance/ I have changed/ I have to go now/ He's coming for me and I need to act normal/ I will explain all that has happened when you get me to safety/ Please hurry!

When the message was finished, Kagome was worn out. Sending messages telepathically took a lot of work.

When Kitsubi beckoned her to the dragon, she complied, and he helped her onto the beast. Soon after, exhaustion took over and she slipped into a dreamless sleep.

With the Wolves

/Please hurry!

As the telepathic message ended, Koga growled. _Mate with Tatsuki? How disgusting! He has got to be the ugliest youkai lord I have ever seen! And I've seen plenty!_

With one last growl, Koga turned to face his pack. "Kagome has just sent me a message, telepathically. She says that she is in trouble and that her scent and appearance have changed. She says that the Southern Lord is going to mate her to his son if we don't stop him. Ugh! We have to stop him and save Kagome!"

A collective gasp came from everyone in the pack. Koga smirked. "So now, do you believe me?"

Koga stepped forward and scanned the pack with his eyes. He met hard, believing gazes and some ashamed yet believing stares. Everyone believed him. Good. He gave a strange, maniacal laugh, deep in his throat.

"Koga?" Ginta was speaking off to his right. Koga turned.

"Yea?" He closed his eyes to clear his clouded mind. He could feel his demon taking him over.

"Your eyes. They're turning black. Black as night. It's as if you're transforming within your mind but not outside of it. Koga?"

Koga couldn't find words so he nodded and gave a growl. Then he began walking in the direction Kagome's scent was coming from.

Ginta tuned to Hakkaku and sighed. "His demon has chosen Kagome. He will never mate another. Even if Kagome rejects him." Ginta then turned and motioned for the rest of the pack. Then they all began following Koga, following the strange scent that was the "new" Kagome.

With Sesshomaru

The taiyoukai paced the floor of his study, agitated. He had returned to his castle after his encounter with Kagome. He had been in a seething rage and had been utterly confused upon his return. The servants had had to subdue him before they could even let him in the castle. _How pathetic of me! _

Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Lands was never confused. But yet, now he found himself, or so it seemed, that way. Kagome had made him this way.

Sesshomaru didn't bode well with rejection and that's what had happened: he had been rejected; even after he had admitted his love for her, she had ran.

Nasume, one of his favored servants, had suggested that maybe she had ran in order to clear her head; to think of what to say to him. He had swatted away the idea. Kumito, a visiting lord from the East, had suggested that their was something wrong.; maybe she had sensed a danger that he, in his exasperated state, could not sense. He had pondered that and then swatted it away as well. It was what Kumito's mate, Ruri, had said that made him think over the situation.

His mind made a flashback to that conversation.

**FLASHBACK**

**Sesshomaru stepped onto the balcony in order to clear his head. The fresh air felt refreshing against his unusually flushed face. He gave a deep sigh and he absentmindedly cracked his knuckles, letting out some of his deadly poison. **

**"You shouldn't do that, Sesshomaru. Don't you remember when we were children? You caught me in the arm with that poison more than once. My father tried to murder you-"**

**"But you stopped him; every time, " Sesshomaru sighed and turned to face his old friend. "Ruri, is there something you need of me?"**

**The woman shrugged, "no, just some company I guess. Oh, and then there is this whole opinion thing I wanted to share." She laughed and Sesshomaru gave her a warm look. She looked as she had as a child when she laughed. **

**He was deeply glad that she had retained her youth and her ability to laugh and joke constantly. He had lost that ability long ago. But, above all, she looked beautiful and regal: a true Lady. **

**She stood there in a deep gold Kimono with a black obi: her land's colors. Her long auburn tresses were held up in a bun, though a few had slipped through the hair piece and were falling loosely around her face. Her tan skin held no paint; she did not like it, nor did she need it. Her deep blue eyes shone with mischief and intelligence: an unlikely combination but one his dearest friend had always owned. On her feet, like it had been since childhood, was nothing. She had always favored bare feet and, when in her castle and his, she was allowed to leave them bare. **

**His stoic mask faltered and he gave a smile, "Oh lovely Eastern beauty, what has this lowly man done to deserve such pleasure?" He laughed. **

**She flushed and gave a reprimanding glare, "This is not matter to laugh at, Sesshomaru. A woman's heart and the heart of my best friend lie on the line. You love this Kagome woman deeply, do you not?"**

**He turned and looked out into the night again. "Yes, Ruri, you know I do; but she does not share my love and for that, I will leave her alone with that fact. I need her friendship too much to just throw it away selfishly for my emotions." A single tear slipped down his pale face.**

**Ruri stepped forward and swiped at the tear. Her eyes shown with compassion. "You are my best friend, Sesshomaru. We grew up together: Eastern Beauty and Western Knight. We knew each other like one would know their siblings so, in light of this, I give you my advice." She turned his face to hers. "This woman would only run if there was danger in staying or if she didn't believe you. I think it is both. She was deeply hurt by your brother years ago and she is still wary of love. She does not think that anyone can love her, even her dearest friend. Also, there is this quest. I believe this quest has something to do with you, Sesshomaru. That is why you were the only one to know she was leaving and why she would not let you come. I believe that if you would have told her of your feelings that day you invited her to the palace, she would have stayed with you, loved you, but now she is afraid that you lie. Running is her way of hiding her feelings from you. She loves you." Ruri then placed a friendly kiss on his forehead and turned to leave. "Kumito will wonder where I have been off to. For a peasant, he can be protective." **

**Sesshomaru nodded that she could leave, and she did. He sat down on the dais and thought about what she had said. _'She loves you.' _ Sesshomaru sighed and put his face in his hands. The pressure behind his eyes grew in intensity and he gave into its request and ventured inside to sleep, though he hadn't come close to drifting off. **

**END FLASHBACK**

Sesshomaru had paced, thought and cried enough. He needed to act; fast: "Jaken, come here!"

The ugly toad burst into the room , flustered and panting. "Yes, me lord?"

"Tell the Lady Ruri and her mate Kumito-sama that they are to stay and watch over the castle until I return. Their children are watching over the East so I doubt that they'll mind. I need to go on a journey and do not know when I will return or if I will return but this journey is of utmost importance. Now go and tell them. I shall leave immediately." He then turned back to his desk and gripped it like it would fly away from him as Jaken ran from the room with a bow.

Sesshomaru's head was spinning like he had just gotten hit by the broad end of a heavy sword. He didn't even know where Kagome was! How was he supposed to find her in enough time to stop her from getting into danger. For all he knew, she could already be in danger, dying, or dead.

New found resolve filled body at that thought. _She is not dead! NO! I will find her and she will believe that I love her! She has to believe me even if she doesn't share my feelings! I have never felt this way and I never will again! She is the one I have chosen! She is the one I love! _With that last thought, Sesshomaru slipped out of his window and into the night. His struggle for his intended only beginning.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Sakura threw her pack onto the back of her fire stallion. Fire sprouted from his black hooves as she jumped onto its back. She had a mission. She had to save Tatsuki-sama from an unwanted partnership. The only way to do that was to kill the said female and find him a new one. This would be a hard job.

When Sakura had been hired as the assassin for the Southern Lands, she had become fast friends with the young lord. He entrusted her with everything; every one of his secrets and every one of his secret wishes and desires. Everything he held dear had been told unto her and she had never told a soul. Now she was running off to kill some woman for him. She had become a slave again.

"Ugh. Tatsuki owes me big. This woman is powerful and is currently," she sniffed the air, "in the possession of the taiyoukai of the Southern Lands. Great."

She kicked the stallion's side in irritation and the beast sped up in response. She had to do this job quick if she was to keep her life.

With Kagome

Kagome awoke to the sound of fighting. She looked up from her resting place to see Koga and his pack of wolves fighting a fully transformed Kitsubi. They weren't doing very well. They would need a miracle to get out of this fight with her in hand and with their own lives. She had a feeling that if this said miracle didn't occur soon, they would have one or the other and she would rather be mated to Tatsuki than see her friends ruthlessly murdered.

She looked all around the campsite for her bow and arrows. She had to help. If she could get one good purifying shot in; then they would all be home free. The problem was that she didn't know if she still had her miko abilities.

"Crap." She looked to the side and saw Koga go down. Blood was pouring from his legs; just beneath his jewel shard. If he lost that shard then this battle and his life would both be over; quick. She looked to her other side and spotted her pack.

"Yes!" she cried out in joy and ran over to the backpack. Her movement didn't go unnoticed by Kitsubi though. He was barreling his way over to her in an instant.

She screamed and dove into the woods; barely missing the youkai's claws. Koga then looked up and noticed Kagome dodging the bear's attempts to grab her. Adrenaline pumped through his veins and he jumped up and sped towards the beast at full speed; intent on bowling him over.

"KAGOME!" he bellowed; his demon side took over as he ran into the snarling black beast, knocking him face first.

The rest of the pack ran towards the beasts, in fear for their leader and sister.

Kagome began trying to calm herself behind the tree. She had scratches on her body from her quick evasion of the big youkai. She had not fully recovered from her transformation so her system was in tatters. Her inner beast was not registering that its master was in danger and she had no use of any of her abilities: youkai or miko. She was helpless.

"Koga, get OUT of here!" she called out. "It's no use! You need a miracle!" Just as she said that, a fire stallion swooped down into the clearing and its female rider catapulted off of it, wielding two katanas, and slammed herself into the fallen demon lord. Her katanas buried themselves in his heart and his skull. With a final sweep of the blades, she separated head from body.

Blood poured from the decapitated Lord's body as the mysterious rider wiped her blades clean on the beast's hide.

Koga and the rest of the wolves turned to look at the newcomer. She was a youkai and a very powerful one.

Koga spoke first, in his usual tone. "Who the hell are you?"

The youkai swept back her raven curls to reveal a tan face and deep azure eyes. "I am Sakura, assassin of the Southern Lands."

Kagome knew what she was immediately. She was an inu-youkai. Kagome stepped out from her hiding place to look the woman in the eye. "What do you want, Sakura-chan?"

The woman smiled and looked Kagome in the eye. "I have come to kill you."

**(A/n: MWAHAHA!…SUPER CLIFFY!)**

With Sesshomaru

After leaving Ruri and Kumito with his lands and duties, Sesshomaru had begun his search for Kagome immediately. Thus far, he had had no luck in finding even a small trace of her scent anywhere in the Western or Eastern Lands and it was bothering him. It was if she had simply disappeared.

"Kagome, what have you done? You cannot survive on your own out here." He sighed and sat beneath a shady tree to rest. He had been traveling two days now and was still unsuccessful in finding anything. He was worried.

With Ruri and Kumito

Kumito growled and slammed his fists into Sesshomaru's desk. "Ruri, what are we going to do? Mizuki and Maru cannot handle the Eastern Lands on their own. They have only just turned 100!"

Ruri sighed. "Kumito, koi, please calm down! You aura is flaring and sending out unpleasant feeling throughout the whole castle and is probably upsetting the servants!" She glared daggers at her mate and trudged over to where he was standing. "If you are so worried about the twins than you should go back; I can handle things perfectly well on my own. I did very well before I mated you, didn't I? I am the true ruler of the East and I am not worried thus you, as a peasant, should be even less worried!"

Kumito's eyes turned blood red. "Ruri! Do not speak to me in that tone again! I am the male thus I am the ruler of the East, no matter my bloodline. Do not disgrace my honor again. Do you hear me?"

She turned from him and crossed her arms across her chest. "Hai, _Lord. _I am but a lowly servant." She then began to walk out of the room. "Pity I fell in love with you. You are just like all of the others; you never loved me; you've always loved my title!" She then stormed out of the study and into the hallway. Tears ran down her face as she barreled into the guest room. She cast a barrier around the room and then threw herself on the bed; all the while sobbing.

Kumito growled. His mate had always been a pain when it came to ruling the East. She was a patient woman and hardly was worried about anything. The only time Kumito had ever seen his mate worried was on the eve of their ceremonial wedding when she couldn't find her wedding fan.

Kumito laughed. He remembered that time vividly.

**FLASHBACK**

**Ruri was pacing holes in the floor of her bedroom. Her heart was fluttering in nervousness. Her intended, Kumito, had nothing on his mind except about when and where to consummate their wedding. "Hentai. Why couldn't you have been the one with all the problems today? I have enough on my plate with the approaching festival of our wedding. I have to plan it all. No thanks to you, baka. I know you're there Kumito-kun, come out so I can see you."**

**Kumito walked into the room. He smelled of oceans and his crisp ash-colored hair was pulled back with a cloth tie. The traditional wedding garb adorned his tanned, muscular body. It was the body of a man who had worked his whole childhood. He looked towards his intended and smiled.**

**"Koi, what bothers you so?" He was too happy for Ruri to deal with right then. She snapped. **

**"What bothers me is that I have to do everything! Isn't the _male _supposed to be in charge? Then again, if I hadn't seen your second head I could have sworn you were a neko-demonness!" She sent a heated glare his way and began pacing the floor again. **

**"Ruri, calm down. You need to calm so you can think rationally. Now, what is it that you're so impatient about? You are hardly ever this agitated. What is bothering you, my love?" He stretched out his hands to grasp her shoulders. His fingers and palm were calloused and raw: worker's hands. **

**Ruri hiccupped and then threw herself in her intended's arms and started rambling. "I can't find my fan and the stableman just called and said that we don't have enough horses for the hunting escapade that I planned for the festival tomorrow. He said he can't get anymore until tomorrow morning at the earliest." She hiccupped but continued with her ramble. "Then Sesshomaru called and said that he can't come and he's my best friend so I want him here…he has to go find InuYasha…I hate how he'd miss my wedding in order to go hunt his baka brother who he won't kill anyways because they're bonded by family ties so his beast would prevent it and…and…" More hiccups and then she threw her arms around her intended's neck like if she let go he would fly away forever. She sobbed into his shoulder. "Oh Kumito! I'm so scared that they won't accept you as a proper mate! I don't want you to go. You're the only one I want. I love you…" She then latched herself onto his haori and he cradled her there until her crying subsided. **

**"Koi? Ruri? Look at me." Kumito stared down at his intended. She looked up into his golden orbs. Her eyes were puffy and her swirling blue irises were clouded with unshed tears. "I found this." Kumito reached behind his mate onto the large master bed. In his hand he held her prized wedding fan. **

**"Oh! My fan! Good God! I thought I had lost it!" Her face brightened and she squealed as she grabbed the fan and dashed into the adjoining bathing chamber to clean up.**

**Kumito laughed. "I love you too, koiishi."**

**END FLASHBACK**

Kumito paced again but this time it was for a different reason. Something in his mind snapped. _I am a peasant…she is the ruler by blood and by law and I have no right to yell at her like that…she is only protecting her family heritage…not to mention she's right…Mizuki and Maru can handle themselves…something still bothers me though. What she said bothers me._

_: She said that you only loved her title and not her. Is that true, Master:_

_Why should I love her? She always disrespects me and my position as taiyoukai. Why should she receive my love?_

_:Because **she **is the taiyoukai. You are merely a peasant that ensnared her heart. Now you throw it back in her face and say you mated her for **her **position. She will always rule these lands and you know it:_

_Grrr….how dare you disrespect me, beast! I am your Master!_

_:Hai…you are my Master but you are **not** hers. I shall leave you now but I shall leave you with one last thing: you do love her you baka or you wouldn't have such fond memories of her! She deserves to kick your sorry ass out of here and back into the streets! She deserves to hate you:_

_You know nothing, beast._

_:humph…I know more than you think.:_

With that the flamboyant voice was gone, leaving behind a very pissed-off neko-youkai. _It knows nothing…_

Then Kumito sat at Sesshomaru's desk and proceeded to write a letter to his two pups in the Eastern Lands.

With Maru and Mizuki

Mizuki pushed back her stubborn auburn curls and glanced towards a towering pile of paperwork. Her navy kimono was hiked past her knees as she sat cross-legged on the floor of her mother's study. Her obi had been taken off and was thrown over a nearby chair. Her silver slippers had been tossed away in favor of her bare feet. Her deep green eyes, the only piece of her father in her, were closed as she rubbed at her temple. She sighed as her brother, and twin, Maru, entered the room in a loud ruckus.

Maru was dressed in his training kimono and armor and held his sword in his left hand. His bow was strung across his back. His clean cut auburn curls brushed against his shoulders as his blue eyes bore into her. He looked nothing like their father but acted like him. She looked nothing like him either, except for her eyes, but acted just as her mother did: calm, cool and patient. They looked the same, practically, except for the eyes. The eyes were deceiving though. She had their father's eyes and Maru had their mother's. They acted the opposite of those whose eyes they possessed. Those very eyes glared at her brother in response to his loud entrance.

"Do you know no boundaries, brother? You barge into mother's study: a place of peace and a place to get work done. Maru-chan, do you even know what work is?" Mizuki giggled dryly in spite of herself and her brother cast her a dark look.

"How can you be so calm? We just had the Eastern Lands dumped on us! Mother and Father left us to deal with everything!" He knelt down beside her and grabbed her hair. He forced her face back in an odd angle to look into his as she knelt over her form. "You have no idea what work is, Mizuki. You do not train, you do not fight, and you do not ride. You sit in your room and read your books. You paint and you have your own garden and menagerie. You are a class-A-puss. And you are a disgrace."

Mizuki reached under the hem of her skirt and pulled a deadly short sword. She forced her full wait onto her brother, ripping some of her hair out in the process. She growled as she pressed the sword's tip to his jugular. "Brother," she spat. "I do train. Almost every day. I ride dragons every morning and horses every afternoon. Every evening; when you are asleep or busying yourself with peeping in on the servant girls, I travel all the way to the Western Lands and am taught by Koduki-chan himself: Uncle Sesshomaru's prized General. You have never had such an honor." She cut a small cut in his throat and Maru gasped. His sudden deep breath pushed his neck closer to the blade. The cut in his throat deepened.

Fear flashed through her brother's eyes as he looked at her. "I am sorry, Mizuki-chan. I did not control myself. I let my instincts take over and attacked you for no good reason." Mizuki loosened her hold on him and let him kneel before her.

"You will submit to me, brother?" Mizuki quirked an eyebrow at him.

He bowed and put his palms and forehead to the floor. "Hai."

She let go of him. "Good." She then returned to her meditative position and went back to rubbing her temple. Her anger lessened as the meditation soothed her. "Leave now, brother. I have work to do."

Maru nodded and picked up his sword. He stopped to turn to her before leaving. He stared for only a mere moment before she growled. "Hai, brother?"

He sighed. "Gomen Nasai, sister, but what are you doing?"

She opened a lazy eye at him. "Your instructors did not teach you how to meditate?" Mizuki heard the faint rustling of silk on armor, signaling that he was nodding his nod: 'no'. She sighed. "Tomorrow I shall teach you. For now, you need to check if there is anything that Father's advisors need of you."

"Hai, sister." Then he bowed and left the room."

"That brother shall be the death of me." She then slipped into a meditative state; a trance.

With Kagome

Kagome paled. "You have come to kill me?"

Koga pounced in front of her. "No way in hell. You will not kill may mate. She is _mine._" A deep growl resonated from his throat as his eyes turned pitch black.

Sakura growled back and drew her sword. "Back away, wolf. This bitch does not wear your mark. She wears the mark of Tatsuki-sama: heir to the Southern Lands. Friend of this Sakura-sama." She pointed the sword at Koga's neck and thrust it into his jugular. Koga flapped around before collapsing. Blood gurgled from the mortal wound as his life force poured away.

Kagome felt sick and she began to cry. She turned to Sakura and growled. "You have hurt my friend and ally. You shall pay." She felt something build up inside her and looked down. She was floating above the ground. Her whole body was glowing a spring green color and her vision was tinted with red.

Koga's pack began to scream. "Sister! Sister is a youkai! She is a Chiyu-Inu! Sister is powerful!" She barely heard the rest of the yells as her vision completely turned read and her hearing ceased to work.

Kagome's body began to change. She grew into a size that almost matched that of Sesshomaru's giant dog form. Her form was a deep ebony dog with a pink and white tipped tail and ears. She bared her fangs as her hearing and vision returned back to her in full force, except much stronger. She let out a howl and looked down at the fallen wolf prince. Her great paw nudged him and when he didn't move she lashed out her tail and put up a bright pink barrier. She then bent to him and opened her mouth.

Green mist poured out from the caverns of her canine mouth. It would seem to be poison, but was actually healing solution. When it did nothing, she realized he was too far gone to be merely healed. She gave a deep growl and closed her eyes. When she opened them, her vision had changed. She could see the soul collectors coming for Koga. She attacked them with her claws; sending them back to hell. When the last collector was gone, Koga's eyes flew open and he coughed.

The great dog demon, Kagome, then lashed down her barrier and began to change. She returned to her humanoid form, her clothes in tatters. She opened her eyes and looked from the awe-struck wolf-clan, to her revived friend, to the assassin. Kagome stepped forward, baring her bright pink claws.

"Now what were you saying about killing me?"

YAY! Chapter Four is done. I know I haven't talked since I began this story so I am going to start now!

First: I need reviews!

Ruri: Yea! She does. She can't write her best without a little commenting.

Mizuki: Yea!

Maru: Yea!

Second: I need about five more names. I am brain fried. I need at least two guy names and at least three girl names. I won't tell you what for yet! glares that'll ruin it!

Anyways...a preview of the next chapter seems in order, ne?

Chapter Five

Kagome glared at the male before her in the glowing orb. "Y' know what? I hate you! Why can't you stay out of trouble for two minutes? I need to finish what I have to do before I go and help you fix everything…you baka-kuso."

The male in the mirror shuddered. "Gomen Nasai, Kagome. But I need your help! We are in deep trouble over here! If you do not hurry, we could lose them all. "

Kagome paled and then growled. "All right. I'm coming."

On a final note:

Chiyu means cure in Japanese so Kagome is a healing inu-youkai. You'll figure out, later, why that's so awe-inspiring to the wolves. winx

Ja ne!


	5. Chapter 5

YAY! Time for a new chapter FINALLY! I'm sorry it took so long. The chapters should be pouring out for a while and then, sorry in advance, Exams are coming up so the chapters will take longer to update with all of the studying involved. But for now let's get this thing started!

This one is EXTRA long!

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Chapter Five

Sakura looked at the woman before her in awe. This was a great warrior in front of her. This was the prophecy; at least it would be if this woman could tell her a few things.

Sakura's face softened into defeat as she began to speak. "I resign from killing you, Lady. And by doing so, I am indebted to either serve you or protect you or I am sentenced to death by your hand. I deserve no mercy, Lady. I misjudged you and killed your pack-mate," Sakura bowed her head, her raven tresses falling over her eyes in a curtain of shadows, "I deserve nothing from you, but this servant wishes to ask the Lady a question." She spoke quieter now, "If the Lady allows it, of course."

Kagome gaped in surprise at the inu-youkai in front of her. This killer was turning herself over to Kagome…willingly. She was amazed at how this deadly assassin could go from sinister and deadly to subverted slave-woman. She was ashamed of her. "You…," she pointed at the woman, "you come here to try and kill me and my pack-mates," she pointed at Koga and then at the fallen Kitsubi, "and him. But now you wish to serve me? This sounds highly out of your nature." She crossed her arms over her chest.

Sakura let a small smirk pass over her face. The Lady was teasing her. "Yes…this is out of my nature but you are different. You are the Prophecy. That is if you answer my questions correctly. If you are the Prophecy, I was born to serve you," Sakura stood then and bowed to Kagome, "So…may I ask my questions, Lady?"

"Kagome…"

Sakura looked puzzled. "Excuse me?"

Kagome smiled. "It's Kagome…not Lady."

Sakura laughed, "As you wish, Lady Kagome."

Kagome sighed, "Call me Kagome from now on and you can ask your question, Sakura."

"Hai, my Lady…" Sakura stopped herself at the look of agitation on Kagome's face, "Hai, Kagome."

"Good; now ask your questions."

Sakura walked up to her to look into her eyes. "You cannot lie to me, Kagome. I can tell if you lie by your eyes. So answer the question truthfully."  
"Okay…"

"First question: Were you once a human?"

"Hai."

Sakura nodded, "Were you once a miko?"

"Hai."

She nodded again, "Did you sell your soul to make yourself demon?"

"Iie. I would never do such a thing!"

She nodded again, "Are you a Chiyu-Inu?"

"Ummm….I don't know."

Sakura looked crestfallen. "I see."

Kagome gasped. "Wait! I think I might be! The wolves called out that I was when I was saving Koga," she turned to the wolves around her, "Am I a Chiyu-Inu?"

The wolves nodded and Sakura smiled before asking another question. "Next: Did you once travel with a hanyou, neko, taijya, houshi, and kitsune?"

Kagome gasped, "Yes…how did you know that?"

Sakura laughed. "One more question and then I will answer all of yours."

"Okay…"

"Last question: Are you in love with an Inu-Taiyoukai?"

Kagome blushed. "Umm…no…I don't think—" Kagome almost cried at the glare Sakura was giving her. "What did I do?"

"You are lying."

"Umm…," she couldn't lie to herself anymore. "Gomen Nasai, Sakura-chan. I am lying to you. I am in love with an Inu-Taiyoukai. I am in love with Sesshomaru-sama of the Western Lands."

Sakura gasped and then broke out into a fit of happy giggles. "You…you…YOU'RE THE PROPHECY!" She then ran and hugged Kagome fiercely.

Kagome was confused. "I'm the what?"

Sakura let go and blushed. "Gomen, Kagome-sama; I said that you are the Prophecy!"

When Kagome still looked confused, Sakura sighed and continued, "The one with the purest heart, purest mind, and purest magic. The one who captured the heart of a heartless youkai," she continued when Kagome gasped, "The one who became a youkai out of love for that very same man, the one who found the Gem of the Wilted Soul: the jewel meant to give Shi Ruilan's only reincarnation, their true power." When Kagome nodded in realization, Sakura continued on, "You are the reincarnation of Shi Ruilan: the possessor of the Gem's power. You are the only Miko-youkai to ever walk this earth but the first of many to come…" she took a deep breath, "And you are the mother to the Firenze: the creature that will vanquish the World's greatest evil: the Darkness."

Kagome gasped and then fainted.

Sakura rushed forward and caught her Lady in burst of speed she didn't know she had. When the Lady was safe in her arms, she set her down on top of her stallion and turned to the wolves who were all open mouthed and unbelieving. "I believe I shall take my Lady now. The rest of my pack-mates are waiting for me."

Just as Sakura was about to leave, a snarling Koga rampaged towards her. His completely black eyes only served to make his demonic haze more frightening. Sakura growled at him. "Leave, you yasei-ookami, the Lady needs her rest and she is not safe here with…" she glared at Koga, "barbarians."

Koga howled and dashed forward, snatching Kagome before Sakura could move. "Mate…mine…you…die…" He then lunged forward, Kagome still in his arms, intent on killing the now laughing Sakura.

Sakura's stallion lifted into the sky before Koga could get near. She addressed him directly, still laughing but red was creeping into her azure eyes. "Whelp, stand down! The Lady belongs to the Lord Sesshomaru of the West! She is his soul mate, his beloved and intended. You mating with her would not only kill him, but her as well. Give up now before I am forced to call the Lord to my aid. He would not act kindly on those who have harmed his Lady. Give her to one of your companions and have him bring her to me. I do not trust you."

Koga laughed. The laugh vibrated the air around him in a baritone rumble as he gripped Kagome tighter. "Wench, she is my mate! Leave now!"

Just as Sakura was about to rip out his throat, a deep growl resonated from the woods and a loud explosion was heard as trees were uprooted from the earth. Sakura and Koga stopped arguing and Sakura's eyes went wide, but before she could say anything, something startled her. She turned toward her Lady.

As Sakura stared, Kagome stirred and spoke, barely loud enough for the floating Inu-Youkai to hear. "Sesshomaru…"

With Ruri and Kumito

Ruri had ended her senseless sobbing. Sure, she was overly emotional but it did not mean that Kumito deserved to be cried over. "Bastard…" She was pacing, currently, thinking up ways to exact her revenge, "Bastard." She was pissed beyond belief and the stress of worrying about her best friend and children wasn't helping, "Bastard! You're such a fucking bastard!"

Kumito was currently outside her door, whining that he was sorry. "You're not sorry. You're never sorry for anything anymore. Ever since I had you formally announced as Lord, all you think about is your work. You're even starting to act like Ryuu! He treats his mate like dirt and he used to be a peasant jut like you! **She **was the rightful ruler yet she let him take the duties as ruler anyways. Now look what's happened to them! He locked her in the East Wing and she has been whipped into silence! Is **that **what you want from me, Kumito, or do you just want me for my body and title? Then again, which is worse?" She then slammed her clawed fists into the door, her golden poison making indents in the marble. Her sudden movement had startled her mate, apparently, because she could hear him scrambling to pick himself up off the floor.

"Ruri, koiishi, you know I love you! Please, forgive me, mate. I want us to be like we once were; when we had fun and we never hid anything from each other; when we loved unconditionally and worked together always. I want to go back to that time." He sounded sincere, but she wasn't buying it.

"We can never be as we once were, mate. We have lost our spark. Well…you have lost yours. I still love you but then again I always have…I cannot say the same thing for you." She gave a depressed sigh. "Leave or I will have the guards come and fetch you. I need to think."

She heard him sigh before it went silent. She was confused. "Have you left, Kumito?"

"Iie, Ruri-sama, I am still here but I m leaving. I am sorry to have bothered you. Forgive me, my Lady."

Ruri let a lone tear slip down the side of her tan face. It hurt to see him act like this. "What has happened to you, koi? I miss my Kumi." She then stepped onto the balcony and stood in front of her easel. She would paint, she had decided. She would paint something to remind her of the way things used to be.

"They will never be that way again."

With Mizuki and Maru

Mizuki was pacing her room in frustration. She had just received a letter from her mother stating that her father was being a beast and had acted so rudely that she had barricaded herself in her room. "Damn father."

She growled deep in her throat and pulled back her auburn curls from her face into a low bun. She grabbed her weapon-like jade sticks out of her armoire and shoved them into the mass of hair before pulling on her sandals. She needed to go for a walk. She stepped onto the balcony, fully intent on jumping off the side when she smelled something coming from the western side of her lands. It smelled like blood.

She hissed and called out to her servant. "Naminè, go and fetch Lord Maru from the training dojo, please."

Naminè bowed deeply and left the room. Minutes later, she reentered with her Lord at her heels. He looked extremely frustrated. "Mizuki! You cannot just pull me out of training like that! I have duties! Sensei will be furious now, thank to you!" He gave a growl in her direction and went to stand next to her. "What is so damn important?"

"Smell," she motioned out to the horizon.

He took a whiff and growled. "Blood…"

"That is not all. Smell again."

He took another whiff and cocked his head in confusion. "Koga-sama?" He sniffed again. "And Sakura-sama from the North."

"Hai, but Koga-sama never goes that far away from his caverns in the hills. Something is wrong. Do you smell her?"

"What? Sakura?"

Mizuki shook her head 'no'.

"Well then what? Smell 'her'? What the hell is that supposed to mean? Are you trying to say that Koga, my friend Koga, is a GIRL!" His face paled and he made a gagging noise.

Mizuki rolled her eyes and poked him in the side of the head to gain his attention once again. "Obviously you do not smell her then. You smell only Koga and Sakura. I smell a foreign female inuyoukai." Her brother's eyes lit up with renewed fire as he sniffed the air again.

"I smell her!"

She rolled her eyes again. "Good job, brother. I—" Mizuki paled and didn't finish her sentence. Her brother poked her in the side.

"You what?" he asked, confused at her sudden silence.

"Smell the air again, brother. Quickly, I need to be sure about this scent before I do anything about it."

Her brother sniffed the air and his eyes went wide. "Oh Kami… It's—"

Mizuki finished his sentence: "Sesshomaru-sama. Something has happened."

With Kagome

"Sesshomaru…help me." Kagome was mumbling softly in Koga's arms. She had shifted and was now facing the clearing making clear eye contact with a fully-transformed Sesshomaru. "I love you, Sesshomaru…help me…" She then began convulsing. Something was hurting her. "Koga…you're hurting me…"

Sakura almost cried at the sight: Koga was sinking his teeth in the flesh of Kagome's neck. He was marking her as his mate…and it would kill her.

"Koga…stop…it hurts…" She then began convulsing even more as her aura began to flicker, changing from a pinkish hue to a black color. She was dying. As she slipped into unconsciousness, Sakura burst forth.

"No…" Sakura ripped Kagome from Koga's arms. His claws slashed into her sides as she was yanked but it could be healed. The inevitable death of her mistress could not. "SESSHOMARU-SAMA, HELP ME!" Sakura screamed at the towering white inuyoukai and his maw turned slightly to look at her. When he saw Kagome and began to smell her blood, his eyes turned black as night. He gave a deep growl, telling Sakura to put Kagome down. She did as he commanded but she was not done with him yet. "CHANGE BACK, SESSHOMARU-SAMA! SHE'LL DIE IF YOU DON'T!" As is a light switch has been turned on in his head, Sesshomaru's eyes began to recede back to their golden hue and he transformed back. As soon as his feet touched ground, he lashed out his poison whip, knocking Koga into the nearest tree. He then ran, demon speed, toward Kagome.

"Kagome…" He placed his hands to her forehead; she had a fever. He felt his own brow begin to sweat. He was confused as hell. He had never been sick in his entire life, yet now he was burning up. He turned to Sakura. "You…what is going on here?"

Sakura quickly explained everything about the prophecy and told him what she knew about soul mates. It was said that any person, be it human or youkai, that had found their soul mate, would change to accommodate them. Meaning that if it was a youkai/human pairing then one or the other would change to fit the other. In their case, Kagome had changed. Also, that said person would never be able to mate another. It would kill them and their destined mates. "This is why she is dying…and so are you. You are dying more slowly than she is because you were not directly hurt."

Sesshomaru's vision blurred. "How…how do I save her?"

Sakura stared at him and replied: "You must mark her and she must mark you. Then, when you both are in a right-state of mind, you must mate; preferably sooner than later. The longer you wait, the more likely that you two will both slip back into sickness and die. We cannot let that happen. You two are the saviors of us all. The fate of the world rests on the shoulders of your love for each other. Now, hurry and mark her. Your mark should cover Koga's and should awaken her enough that she can mark you in return. I will hold back the barbarian until you are finished." Then Sakura was off to fight Koga until Sesshomaru regained enough strength to kill him.

"Kagome…" He cupped his hands around her face and traced the faint markings on her cheeks and forehead. Her cheeks held very faint, silver stripes, much like his own maroon ones, and her forehead held a pink leaf with a black star in the center of it. She was beautiful.

He then proceeded to move the hair from her neck so he could mark her. Koga's mark was bleeding and he could see the black infection spreading across it. Kagome's body was rejecting the mating mark, and killing Kagome and himself in the process.

He brought his face down slowly and blew on the area on the other side of her neck. He did not want to have his mark mix with Koga's; it would defeat the purpose. He gently pressed on the junction of her neck and massaged it before lowering his head and biting into her flesh. Her blood seeped into his mouth and his eyes flashed to black momentarily before returning to their original gold.

When he taken in a sufficient amount of blood, he took his mouth off her neck and licked the wound. His demon saliva began to heal the wound almost instantly and when he was finished cleaning and healing it, his mark become only a permanent, crescent-shaped scar; it was no longer a bleeding wound. She was his now and she would carry that mark for life.

He lifted his head away from her neck and looked down her body. She truly was beautiful. She had a perfectly shaped body underneath that shredded kimono, and he could not wait to ravish. He could not wait to have his pup inside of her. He could not wait to be with her forever.

Her hair had grown considerably from the change and it held slivey-white streaks all through it. She had grown an ebony colored tail and it was currently wrapped around her ankles. She had grown claws, filled with healing salve and poison, and fangs, filled with a deadly poison, most likely more so than his poison could ever hope to be. She was the perfect mate and he loved her. He could honestly say that he loved her.

He was knocked out of his musings when she stirred. Her eyes opened to reveal honey-brown depths that anyone could get lost in. She gave him a faint smile before cringing in pain. "Sesshomaru…it hurts…" Sweat was beading down her forehead; he had to move quickly.

"Kagome…koi…"

She glanced up at him, love filling he eyes. His heart did a back flip. "Hai…"

"I need you to do something, Kagome."

She was drifting from him. "But I am too tired…"

He grasped her chin and make her look at him. "No, Kagome, you cannot sleep right now. If you sleep you will die."

Her eyes went wide and a lone tear slid down her face. He bent down and kissed it off her face. "Koi, I need you to be strong for me."

She nodded as her eyes held in tears. "What do I need to do?"

"I need you to mark me Kagome. You need to drink some of my blood. We are soul mates and we need to be mated in order to save our lives. Koga marked you and now your body is killing you…and you dying is killing me."

She nodded and sat up slightly. "How do I—"

Sesshomaru cut her off and showed him the pale part of his neck. "Let your inner youkai take control, Kagome. It will tell you what to do."

She nodded, a little confused but she found strength within herself to try. She closed her eyes as a jolt of pain hissed through her. Just as the pain was about to pull her under, she felt her powers stir and she knew that her beast was taking over. Her eyes flew open and her sense jumped to an all new high. All she could hear was the pulsing of Sesshomaru's blood so she followed the sounds and bit into the part of his neck where the sound was the strongest.

A metallic taste poured into her mouth and she savored it. When she was finally finished she pulled away from his neck to look into his eyes.

"Koi…clean the wound…" He spoke gently and led her face back to the wound on his neck. Her inner beast had quieted and now true Kagome was returning as she scraped her tongue across the wound. It began to heal quickly and left only a scar remaining. It was in the shape of a star.

When she looked up again, Sesshomaru was purring and his hands had wrapped around her waist. Their tails had intertwined: a beautiful mixture of silver and white. They were a pair.

He purred in her ear and she shivered. She knew this was not done yet. "Rest, koi. When we have the strength, we must finish this."

She nodded and felt the darkness pull her under. The last thing she felt was someone pulling her into his chest.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

OKAY IM DONE WITH CHAPTER FIVE! I

I'm sorry that my preview was wrong. What I wrote will be in the next chapter. I wanted to do another encounter between Ruri and Kumito and I also wanted to make the marking scene a little more emotional. I think it worked.

Once again I'm sorry.

Here's the names I chose:

Mira: F

Shenji: M

Gin: F

Umeko: F

Tenji: M

Makoto: M

Katakura: F

Zami: M

And here's the preview again…same as last time…

Chapter Six

Kagome glared at the male before her in the glowing orb. "Y' know what? I hate you! Why can't you stay out of trouble for two minutes? I need to finish what I have to do before I go and help you fix everything…you baka-kuso."

The male in the mirror shuddered. "Gomen Nasai, Kagome. But I need your help! We are in deep trouble over here! If you do not hurry, we could lose them all. "

Kagome paled and then growled. "All right. I'm coming."

Well that's about it…

JA NE!

--Darkness--


	6. Chapter 6

Okay! Here's another chapter for you. This chapter will be the mating ceremony chapter. Please kindly remember that this FanFic is rated M, for mature. The mating scene will get quite graphic. I will try to give you warning ahead of time.

Oh, and the whole chapter is not just the mating. You also get to meet some new characters and some old friends shall make an appearance. Oh, BTW, I will not be using Tenji as a male's name. Instead I shall be using Joru. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Well, here we go!

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Chapter Six

Lord Sesshomaru-sama of the Western Lands, was not one to show fear. He had always been strong-willed, defiant, and proud. But as he protected his newly claimed mate, he suddenly felt fear. Kagome Higurashi was nearly dead and it was killing him. It took all of his strength not to let the dark abyss of his pain pull him under. Yes; he was in pain.

Sakura was still in battle with Koga and it left him to be alone with his mate; it left them time to heal. The thing was: Kagome wasn't healing. Her body was still fighting against Koga's mark, and he had no idea why. Koga's mark should have been gone by then. He was the stronger male; his mark should have over-powered the lower ookami's, but it hadn't. He had to figure out why.

So Sesshomaru did the only thing he could think of. He called out to his beast.

_Beast, I beg of you. Please speak to me. Help this Sesshomaru protect our mate._

_:Ah…Lord Sesshomaru. I see that you have finally found a use for your humble beast. What may I help you with, master:_

_Our mate…she is dying and I do not know why. _

_:I am surprised at you, master. You should have seen this. The other mark is killing her:_

_Baka beast! I know that! But I placed my own mark on her and she is still dying. I do not know why!_

_:Ah! That is different. Tell me, master, is the bearer of the first mark still living:_

_Hai…_

_:Well then that is your problem. He must be killed:_

Sesshomaru growled and placed Kagome on the ground. _Hai._

Somewhere in the caves of the Western Lands

Eight hooded figures sat circled around a blazing fire. Their different colored eyes danced in the firelight as they spoke in hushed tones to one another.

There were four of each gender and it was one of the females who spoke to the group.

"My fellow Protectors, the time has come; the Lady has heard of her destiny. The Lady has accepted her destiny. Today is the day we prepare for her because her and her Lord shall come to us on this day. They will become one on this day. They shall be mated." The woman then pulled down her hood to reveal a stunningly beautiful phoenix youkai. Her flaming red curls danced on her shoulders and feathers poked out from odd angles. Her piercing emerald eyes searched the group for a certain person. She finally spotted him.

"Makoto!" A tall man stood and faced her. He pulled his hood down. He was a panther youkai. His dark raven hair fell over one azure eye as he looked up at the phoenix.

"Hai, Gin. What is it that you need?"

"I want you to take your hunting party out into the woods to try and locate the Lady, her Lord and Sakura. I believe our fellow comrade is with the Lady at this moment."

Another woman stood to poke the fire. Her hood fell from her head to reveal a neko-youkai with tawny colored curls and deep brown eyes. Mischief clouded her features as she turned to her partner behind her.

"We can only hope. Right, Shenji-kun? " The man behind her laughed, causing the hood to fall from his tan face. He appeared to be a kitsune; a fox-demon. He had deep auburn hair and golden eyes. His hair only fell to his ears and it curved slightly to create a water-fall look. He was tall and sturdy, like a warrior, but his eyes held untold mischief.

"Right, Mira-chan. Sakura sometimes makes mistakes." He then threw a look over his shoulder at an un-hooded, silent boy in the corner. The boy looked to be in his adolescent years, for an inu-youkai. He had raven hair that fell to his mid-back and it was held in a low ponytail by a jade band. He had one azure eye and one gold eye and both were filled with untold fire. He looked strikingly like Sakura.

"You agree, hai, Zami-kun?"

The inu-youkai, Zami, growled and threw a dirty look at Shenji. His eyes were filled with hatred for the older demon. "Shenji, you do not know of whom you speak of! My sister will do our clan proud. She is a born warrior, unlike you. You are a born idiot and trickster. How those two came together in the same person, I shall never know." He then bared his teeth at the older demon and reverted back to his strange silence. He then sent a pleading look towards a hooded woman in the circle when Shenji and Mira kept pestering him and making jabs at his sister. "Umeko-nee, help me!"

The woman called Umeko stood and turned on Shenji and Mira. "Do not speak of Sakura in such a way! She is a dear friend of mine! The only reason she is not here with us now is because she is helping Lord Tatsuki! Give her respect! She is our leader!" She then pulled back her hood to reveal and angered kitsune. Her long raven tendrils fell to he waist and were pulled into a high ponytail. Her green eyes held millions of emotions but the most prominent were anger and shame. She looked to be the same age as Sakura.

A male stood and addressed the group as well. He seemed to be wise and a great warrior. As he stood, the other sat down. Even Gin stepped down from her high perch on the cavern's ledge. She bowed her respects to the older male as she passed.

"My fellow Protectors, where is your honor? We stand here bickering like children while one of our own is out in the field helping the Lady. Do you not think that we owe her even a little respect? She is our leader, and my daughter! You will do well to learn your manners before her and the Lady return. Now, I ask all of you to please return to your duties." When no one moved he growled and faced them all, fury clouding his eyes. "NOW!"

The man stepped down. He was an inu-youkai. His hair was a deep ebony and his face was pale. His deep azure eyes held the understanding and love only a father could possess. He was the proud father of Sakura and Zami.

A woman bent over and placed her clawed fingers on his back. She whispered something comforting in his ear before placing a kiss on his forehead. As she stood she turned to say something else. "Joru, mate, I want you to stop worrying. Our daughter will return to us and she will make you proud. She will bring us the Lady." The woman lifted her hood off of her face to reveal a tan inu-youkai with raven curls and green eyes. She smiled at her mate as he lifted a hand to the side of her face and caressed it.

"Katakura, my mate, thank you. Remember I will always love you, koiishi."

She kissed the palm of his hand as she walked away. The other clan members stood in awe for a second before a barked order from Joru sent them reeling into action.

"Gin, Makoto, Umeko, Zami! You are the scouting party! GO! Shenji, Mira! Go fetch enough food for us and our guests. Expect a guest party of five youkai. GO! Katakura, you and I shall prepare the caves for the mating ceremony. Now everyone…HURRY!"

The clan members burst into action. The scouting party quickly grabbed their armor and swords and ran out of the caves into the forest. The hunting party grabbed their bows and arrows and ran into the forest. When all had left, Joru and Katakura remained.

Joru smiled and took his mate's awaiting hand. She then turned to him and smiled. "Let us begin."

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Okay…if you don't already get it: Sakura is Joru and Katakura's daughter and Zami's sister. Got it? Oh and this is also here to remind you that this next part is the mating and will contain a lemon….well as well as I can write a lemon. Review and tell me what you think!

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

With Sesshomaru

Sesshomaru was standing next to his mate. Uncertainty drove him to hesitate from running and killing Koga. _What if Kagome dies while I'm out there? What if killing Koga won't fix anything? What will she think when she sees the dead body of her friend and finds me responsible? Will she reject me? _

As if to answer his question, Kagome's tail stirred at her side to brush gently against Sesshomaru's ankle. Kagome's beast was comforting him. _Why? _He walked back over to his mate and placed a kiss on her forehead. She stirred in her sleep and a lazy eyelid opened to look at him.

She gave a weak smile and raised a hand to the curve of his cheek. He melted into her touch and kissed the palm of her hand and the pads of her fingers. Her smile strengthened as she rubbed a finger across his facial markings, making him purr. He then grabbed her wrist and put his face down to hers. He had to tell her.

Her face contorted into one of confusion. "Sesshomaru?"

"Kagome…there is something I must tell you."

She grabbed his free hand with her free one and looked into his eyes. "What is it, koi?"

His face turned to a serious expression as he held her hand. He spoke to her calmly but there was a hint of fear laced in. "Kagome, I have to dispose of Koga. He must die or we will die. This Sesshomaru is sorry but it must be done."

A tear slipped down her face before she nodded. "He is my friend but he is not himself. He has lost what made him my friend. He has embraced the beast in him and he cannot control himself anymore. I think it is best that…that…" she broke out into tears, "that he dies."

Sesshomaru bent and kissed the tears from her lips before standing and unsheathing toukijin. "I will do it quickly. He will suffer as little as possible; if only for you, koiishi."

She nodded and put her hands across her stomach. "I don't think I can watch."

He nodded and placed a blanket over her that he had found in Sakura's saddlebag. "Sleep then. The rest will do you good. When you wake, I shall have already buried the wolf and I will allow you to mourn if you wish. After that, we move to safer territory."

She gave a weak smile and pulled the blanket up over her head. Sesshomaru waited until he could here her breathing shallow out, signaling she was asleep, before going after Koga.

In InuYasha's forest

"Ayame, will you leave me alone for two seconds?" InuYasha threw a glare at his traveling companion. "Do you know how much that annoys me?"

The red-haired wolf continued to follow her hanyou companion around everywhere. She liked to annoy him. It made her blood boil and she enjoyed the look of rage on his face when she did it. It was…it was…'cute'. Yes, it was cute.

"InuYasha, why don't we stop for a while? I heard that Sango and Miroku are staying with Kaede-baa-chan for a little while. It would be nice to see some friends."

"How do you know that they're staying here?"

"One of my wolves; not to mention…I smell them."

'Damn full-blooded youkai nose' "Feh."

"Are we going or not?"

"Yea, we'll go. I want to see Kagome anyways." He absentmindedly put a skip to his step.

_He really wants to see her…_Ayame stiffened. "Kagome isn't there. She hasn't been for a long time. Her scent is almost non-existent. In fact, I haven't smelled it at all since we left that one afternoon."

"But, didn't she stay with Sango and Miroku?" Realization dawned and tears threatened to claim the hanyou. He held them back. "No…"

"InuYasha, what is it?"

"No…No! No! No!" He then shot off towards the well. "KAGOME!"

"INUYASHA! COME BACK YOU BAKA!" Ayame then sped off after her friend. She found him crouching near the well, smelling the area. She was confused. "InuYasha? Why are you sniffing that ugly well?"

"Kagome…her home is through the well. She's from the future. If she went through the well…she's never coming back."

"The future?" The hanyou only nodded before returning to his previous tasks.

"Ayame, I can't smell her scent anywhere near here, can you?" Ayame stepped forward and sniffed the air around the well. Her nose twisted in disgust at the smell of decaying wood.

"Iie, I can't. That's a good thing then?"

The hanyou sighed and sat on the ground before putting his head in his hands. His claws ran absentmindedly through his silver hair. "Hai…a very good thing…"

Ayame saw relief spread through his features when she had given him her answer. She gave a sorrowful sigh. The hanyou she had fallen in love was in love with another. He could never be hers. "You love her, don't you, InuYasha?"

He looked up at her and smiled. "Iie…not like she deserves…I never could bring myself to see past the Kikyou in her. I never loved her like I loved Kikyou, so I had to let her go. Kagome had loved me, long ago. She had professed and I had shot it away but she stayed with me. She loved me differently after that. She's my best friend…she's my sister kind of…I guess. She knows more about me than I've ever told anyone…well except my brother…I did live with him for some 200 years. And I know more about her than anyone ever will…except for that 'one'. The one that'll hold her heart and keep it…I'll gladly share my spot in her heart with that lucky man. I truly will…" He then got up and took Ayame's hand. "Let's go see our friends…"

Unknowingly, tears had been sliding down Ayame's cheeks. She was amazed at how much the two of them, Kagome and InuYasha, had loved each other…and still did. They were closer than any two people she had ever met had been. It had panged her heart to see the pain in his eyes when he thought she had left. If she had, Ayame didn't think he would've survived and she wouldn't blame him. She had to tell him. "Wait, InuYasha. I need to tell you something." He turned to her.

"Yea, Ayame, what is it?"

She turned and gripped him in a fierce hug. "She would never leave you, InuYasha. Just like you would never leave her…she just went away and I know where she is…she's with Sesshomaru…"

With Sesshomaru

Sesshomaru wiped the blood from his poison claws as he went in for another attack. The wolf was putting up a decent fight and had caused enough bruises to put Sesshomaru in a little pain…a little. Koga was worse for wear.

The wolf had slashes across his chest that were bleeding profusely. His right eyes had been gauged by an unluckily placed tree branch when he had been jumping across the treetops. Sesshomaru laughed at that. He had caused more pain to himself than Sesshomaru had.

"Foolish wolf, I shall make this quick for you…for my mate. She is quite fond of your more…_docile _half." He then unleashed his acid whip, slashing it across the wolf's tanned neck. The said neck cracked in half and soon the wolf's head was severed from his body. He died soon after.

Before he died, Sesshomaru had gotten to see his calmer side. His face was contorted in grief and his eyes submitted an apology before going dull and lifeless. "So you were a decent demon, a bit brash but Kagome was right…you did let your blood take over you. What a pity…you were a dear friend of hers." He then sheathed toukijin and walked back to where Kagome was lying.

"Kagome…it is over." His mate stirred at his voice and shifted clumsily under her blanket…she couldn't free herself. He chuckled lightly and pulled it off of her head. "Too much for you to handle?"

"Arrogant…" she smiled a bit before saddening. "Is he…dead?"

"Hai…he is…he is sorry. He apologized before he died."

"What did he say?" She jumped up and squealed in pain. "Ow…"

"Do not do that again…it causes you pain."

"Fine…what did he say?"

"Nothing…his eyes apologized, not his mouth."

"The eyes say what the mind truly wants to say. The eyes never lie…" Sakura had approached the couple. "Good morning, Kagome." She bowed. "Gomen, Lord Sesshomaru. I forget myself."

"It is fine, woman. You protected my Kagome until I was able to come to her aid. For that I am grateful." Sakura then stood and nodded.

"My name is Sakura, daughter of Joru and Katakura, leader of the Clan of the Firenze. I am here to take you and Kagome to our caverns to the North-west. It has been secured and prepared for your mating ritual, my Lord. There are a few things I must explain to you when we arrive." She bowed again before calling to her fire stallion. "How will you ride, my Lord and Lady?"

Sesshomaru stood. "She shall ride with me."

"Hai…I think I would prefer to be with my intended, Sakura-chan. Thank you for the offer, though."

"Think nothing of it, Kagome. Now, will you two kindly follow me?"

The pair nodded and Sesshomaru summoned his cloud…or tried to summon his cloud. "Hn?"

"What's going on?" Kagome looked at Sesshomaru in awe. His hair was alternating from silver to black and his marking were fading. "Sesshomaru?"

"I am in a weakened state. I cannot summon my cloud."

"Your hair is changing and your markings are disappearing!"

Sesshomaru growled. "Woman, can you carry us?"

"No, but you may take the steed. I shall transform." She then led the fire stallion to the awaiting pair and transformed into her larger form. Her fur was a mixture of brown and black (a/n: like a German shepherd) and her eyes were a bright blue. She barked at the couple to follow her as she bounded into the darkening sky.

Sesshomaru lifted Kagome onto the stallion and lifted himself in behind her. She wavered and she fell back into him before falling back asleep.

"Koi…sleep well because we have a long night ahead." He then followed Sakura into the sunset: all the way to the caverns of the Clan.

Sakura landed in front of a line of candlelit caves. The smell of cooking pork wafted out of the entrances and pulled at her nose, beckoning her empty stomach to propel her forth. She couldn't leave though; she had to wait for her Lord and Lady.

The said couple landed a few minutes later and the landing jarred Kagome from her sleep. Her first sight was that of a teenage boy running full speed from the woods and barreling into Sakura.

"SAKURA-NEE!"

"ZAMI-NII!" The friendly exchange was refreshing. She had missed these kinds of moments. Her thoughts were jarred when she was lifted off of the stallion by a very different looking Sesshomaru.

His hair was now jet black and his markings had almost disappeared. She began to bite her nails nervously…wait…,"NAILS?"

Every head turned her direction and Sesshomaru looked down at her with laughter, fatigue, and worry in his eyes. "Hai, Kagome. You are turning human again and I am turning human as well. We must hurry." He then took her into the nearest cave, Sakura and Zami following close behind.

Sakura walked faster, pushing her way into the cave before Sesshomaru could get in. "Mother? Father? Umeko? Anybody?" The answer was a loud applause coming from the back of the cave.

"Sakura has returned with the Lady and Lord!" All of the seven other Clan members walked into the room, clapping, before Joru silenced them all.

"Shenji," he called. The cat-youkai stepped forth and he continued, "Take the Lord and Lady to their chambers."

"Hai, Joru-sama," Shenji then stepped towards Sesshomaru and Kagome, who had just walked in, "Follow me, my Lord. I shall lead you to your private chambers."

Sesshomaru gave a slight nod before dropping his head again. He was exhausted.

Shenji lead them through a series of corridors until they came upon a room that smelled of rain and water lilies. "This is it, my Lord. Ring that bell and some will come to your aid. You may have your privacy for as long as you wish." She then left, closing the door behind her.

**XOXOXO --- LEMON --- XOXOXO**

Sesshomaru heard a lock click on the outside of the door and when he was satisfied that they were alone, he placed Kagome on the plush futon in the center of the magnificent room. "Kagome…this will hurt only once…and I apologize now."

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck as he bent over her. "Sesshomaru, I'm ready. I don't care about the pain." She then lifted her head and kissed him, passionately, on the mouth.

Sesshomaru melted into the kiss. She kissed with genuine innocence and trust and he felt every emotion that she was feeling filter into the kiss. When he could no longer overcome his desire for her, the kiss deepened.

Her tongue fought its way into his mouth and explored every space in it. It nicked against his fangs and was all alone in its excursions until Sesshomaru's tongue joined the dance. They fought for dominance and with her inferior size, she quickly lost and Sesshomaru took that advantage.

He quickly removed his shirt, revealing a bare chest and toned muscles to her view. She gasped, which made his exploring tongue delve deeper into the caverns of her mouth. She moaned and moved her hands to his back making him purr in delight.

He placed one of his hands on the front of her kimono and pulled if off while his other hand roamed through her raven hair.

Kagome gasped when she felt the cold air of the room brush against her bare skin but when Sesshomaru began to knead her breasts, heat quickly overcame the cold. She threw her hands around his neck and pulled his head down to her lips again for another kiss but he was having none of that. He growled and brought his lips to her bare chest and left heated butterfly kisses all over it. She moaned at the sensations it was causing and quickly removed his pants from his body.

At the sudden coldness towards his length, Sesshomaru growled. He threw himself quickly onto the bed and pushed Kagome all the way up to the downy pillows. She moaned at the movement and wrapped her legs around his waist. When he felt her movement, his arousal grew and he knew that he could wait no longer. "Kagome," he panted, "This shall hurt."

Kagome nodded and bit her lip hard as Sesshomaru thrust into her. She screamed despite herself but the pain of her virgin walls breaking was soon overcome with the heat from him being inside her. She gasped and pulled Sesshomaru into a heated kiss, while he was still deep inside her.

Sesshomaru tasted blood when he accepted her kiss and quickly licked it away from her bruised lip before attacking her open mouth with his tongue. They kissed for a long moment before they both pulled away gasping.

Sesshomaru thrusted into her again when the kiss ended and she screamed out his name in ecstasy, signaling her climax. He came soon after and after his seed had spilled into her, he pulled away and sprawled on the bed next to her, falling asleep soon after, to regain his strength and his demon.

Kagome fell asleep thinking of her mate…thinking of her first time but most importantly: thinking of the future.

**XOXOXO END OF LEMON OXOXOX**

With InuYasha

InuYasha and Ayame had traveled to the village soon after their chat, only to find it in complete chaos. There were barriers surrounding the whole place, blocking out the smell of blood and death from the noses of approaching demons…it also kept them from getting through. InuYasha growled and threw Ayame behind him before pulling out the tetsusaiga. It pulsed and he made a twirling move before summoning it to the red tetsusaiga: the barrier breaker.

He lunged at the offending barrier and ripped it open only slightly…just enough to let him through. It closed behind him, signaling that this had been one of the miko's doing. Most likely Kaede had done it to keep anymore demons from assisting in the attack on the village. There were enough already.

InuYasha called out across the chaos as he ran, Ayame close behind. "SANGO! MIROKU!" He was answered with various screams from his terrified friends. He hurried in their direction.

He found them surrounding a hut. Miroku was throwing sutras everywhere, his only defense because his wind tunnel was gone. Kaede was sitting behind him, in deep trance, placing wards and barriers on the hut. Sango was deep in battle. She was throwing Hiraikotsu at every demon she could, but her strength was failing. Kirara was trying desperately to protect her mistress but the big cat was wounded extremely and was losing speed and accuracy. He needed to help them.

He threw himself into the fray, right beside Sango. Ayame ran to help Miroku. "Sango! Why'd you start the fun without me?"

The exterminator turned and looked at the hanyou. She screeched before throwing her boomerang at an approaching snake-youkai. "InuYasha! You're here! Where's Kagome and Ayame?"

He defeated another snake-youkai before answering her. "Ayame is with your husband and Kagome isn't with me. Ayame said she went with Sesshomaru."

"HIYA!" Sango felled another demon. "We need to find them, InuYasha. If they were here, this battle would be over quickly. I don't know how much longer I can hold them back." She glanced at the hut briefly before moving further into the fray.

He noticed her glance. "What's in the hut?"

"The children…every single one of them…" She then collapsed on the ground. "InuYasha, get me to Miroku!"

The hanyou obliged and picked up his fallen friend and carried her to her tiring husband. "Miroku! Your wife needs you!"

The monk flew forward from his post and grabbed Sango from InuYasha. "Sango, what is it?"

"Do you still remember how to contact Kagome?"

"Hai, why do you ask?"

"We need them…"

"Them?"

"Sesshomaru and Kagome: the unstoppable team." She gave a small smile before passing into unconsciousness. Miroku wiped her hair from her eyes and InuYasha growled.

"You need to contact Kagome, Miroku. And you need to hurry." Miroku nodded, put Sango in InuYasha's arms and turned to enter the hut. Ayame stepped towards InuYasha soon after.

"Give her to me, InuYasha…I can bind her wounds and protect her. You need to help fight." InuYasha nodded and handed Sango to Ayame before jumping into the middle of an incoming horde of demons, screaming.

Ayame took the unconscious exterminator into the hut and laid her in an abandoned bed. The children of the village huddled around her with wide eyes.

One brave girl stepped forth and grabbed Ayame's hand. "You're a good demon…you're like InuYasha and Sesshomaru and Koga. You won't hurt us. You won't."

Ayame smiled and squeezed the girl's hand. "Iie, child, I will not hurt you. I am a dear friend of Koga-sama and a close friend of InuYasha. I would never hurt you." She then let go of the girl's hand and proceeded to bandage Sango.

Meanwhile, Miroku was contacting Kagome. He was sending mental messages in the form of floating, glowing orbs. They flew out of his mind and evaporated, going straight to Kagome.

With Kagome

Kagome awoke in the middle of the morning. It was absolutely silent in the cave and Sesshomaru was asleep next to her. He looked completely at ease: his now silver hair falling over chest as he lay on his stomach. His chest rose and fell with each breath and Kagome sighed. They were mated.

She looked at herself and noticed the reentrance of her tail, claws, and body shape: she was a demon again. She lifted herself off of the bed and heard Sesshomaru growl behind her from the missing warmth before fading back into a deep sleep. He had lost a lot of strength.

She began to put her silver kimono on when she heard it…it was a voice. More importantly, it was a voice in her mind and it sounded like Miroku… Miroku was contacting her.

Sure enough, a glowing orb appeared in front of her. It came so sudden that she screamed and fell onto the sleeping Sesshomaru. He awoke with a start.

"Kagome! What are you doing?" She turned to him and gave him a big cheesy smile.

"The orb thingy scared me. Gomen Nasai, koiishi." She then rose again and looked into the orb. It was a battle scene and she could hear InuYasha's battle cries plain as day. She was scared. They were losing this battle and they needed her and Sesshomaru's help.

"_The unstoppable team, Kagome. We need the unstoppable team over here! We're losing," _came the voice of Miroku. Then she heard InuYasha enter the hut. By this time, Sesshomaru had thrown a robe on and was standing behind her, his hands around her waist.

"_Kagome! Get your ass over here! We need you and my brother over here now!" _came the voice of the hanyou. He was pissing her off to the point where she couldn't take it anymore.

She glared at the hanyou before her in the glowing orb. "Y' know what? I can't believe it! Why can't you stop harassing me for two minutes? I need to finish what I have to do here before I can go and help you! SO GIVE ME A MINUTE!"

The InuYasha in the mirror shuddered. _"Gomen Nasai, Kagome-nee. But I need your help! We are in deep trouble over here! If you do not hurry, we could lose them all."_ InuYasha pointed to the children in the room. She could hear the demons pounding on the door.

Kagome paled and then growled. "All right. I'm coming." The orb disappeared and Kagome turned in Sesshomaru's embrace. "Are you coming with me?"

He laughed and kissed her on the forehead. "We are the unstoppable team, aren't we? It does not work if one half of the team fights without the other, now does it?"

Kagome smiled and kissed him on the chin before pulling out of his embrace to put her fighting garb on.

She put on a uniform much like Sango's but it was purple with silver lining. She slid on a pair of heeled fighting boots and threw her hair up into a tight bun. She then turned to her mate, who was dressed in his armor and clothes. "I think we need to leave without the Clan knowing about it. We need to hurry and they will only slow us down."

Sesshomaru nodded and grabbed hold of Kagome. He then slashed a hole in the stone wall with his acid whip and ran through it, Kagome in his arms. As soon as he was outside, he called upon his cloud and headed towards his brother and his friends.

YAY! ANOTHER CHAPPY IS DONE!

I think I'm done posting previews. I think I write better when I am completely unsure of what to write. If you just HAVE to know what's happening next, ask me in a review. K?

Alrighty then. REVIEW PWEEZ!

-- Darkness—

p.s I'm sorry if the lemon was bad. It was my first attempt at one. Review and tell me what you think. Or if you skipped over it: just tell me what you thought about the chapter!


	7. Chapter 7

OKAY! I have finally written another chapter! I apologize for the long wait but I started another fanfic. It's a Draco Malfoy / Hermione Granger fic so if you're into that coupling than totally read it. Other than that I have no news so….On to the story!

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Chapter Seven

InuYasha and Miroku lost their connection soon after they had gotten it, so they had not heard her tell them she was coming. So, being the heroes they were, they began panicking.

"We're all going to die! Kami help us!" Miroku was scrambling around the hut, throwing sutras on every opening and putting wards on every person in the building. He was getting seriously worried.

"Miroku, would you be quiet? You're frightening the children!" Sango had woken up and with the help of Ayame was managing to keep the many human children under control. Kaede had entered soon after InuYasha and was currently chanting a protection spell in front of the door, while InuYasha held the door closed against the incoming demons.

"If they do not get here soon, I am going to personally castrate that damn idiot-"

"InuYasha! There are children in here!"

"Sorry, Sango-chan."

Suddenly, as if on cue, there was a deafening thud from outside the hut. It sounded as if a one thousand pound animal had landed from the sky. And that's exactly what it was: Sesshomaru's, in his dog-from, landing in the middle of the village, directly in front of the hut.

Sango screamed. "KAGOME-NEE-CHAN!" She then began shouting orders at the other friends around her. "Miroku, remove the wards and sutras on the door! Kaede, stop chanting! InuYasha, Ayame, get ready to fight! On my signal…one…two…GO!"

All at once, the door burst open and InuYasha, Ayame, Sango and Miroku bolted from the hut, leaving Kaede to protect the children.

"KAGOME, SESSHOMARU, ABOUT DAMN TIME!" InuYasha roared over the crowd. Sesshomaru growled and Kagome jumped from his back, right in front of him. He almost screamed. "Why are you a demon? What did he do to you?"

Kagome laughed before sinking her claws into the chest of another demon. "He didn't do anything to me, InuYasha. I became what I am by choice. My heart chose to be a demon in order to complete my bonding to my true love."

"What?" InuYasha was dumbfounded…and confused.

"I'll explain later. We need to get rid of these guys!" She then dove straight into the horde of demons, slicing multiple in half on the way. "SESSHOMARU, CHANGE BACK! I NEED YOUR HELP!"

He changed immediately and was soon standing directly next to Kagome in the battle. "What is it that you need, mate?"

"I need you to hold my hand." He looked confused. "I'm going to channel my purifying powers through your whip and kill every last one of these bastards!" He nodded and grabbed her hand. He then created his acid whip and waited for the stinging of her purifying to wrack through his body, but the pain never came. He looked down at their joined hands and his eyes went wide. His hand was glowing a vibrant pink color and so was his normally acid-green whip protruding from his free hand. He was using her powers!

Kagome looked up at him and laughed. "Amazing, huh?" She then sighed and a determined aura spread across her features. "Are you ready? I need you to spin around, but you must keep my hand in yours. My magic will do the rest." He twirled her so she was tight against his body and their joined hands rested beneath her breasts. "Nice Position."

He smirked at her and then his face turned rigid. "I am ready. Alert the others stand clear of the area." Kagome nodded and sent telepathic messages to all of her fighting friends to return to the hut. Then she closed her eyes and clung tighter to Sesshomaru's arm with her free hand, signaling him that she was ready.

He kicked his right foot and spun in a complete clockwise motion four times, his whip crashing against the bodies of hundreds of demons, causing the purifying energy to disintegrate them. When he came to a halt he almost screamed in shock: every last one of the demons was gone: disintegrating into a pile of black ooze and dust. The smell was horrid but the overall victory felt sweet.

Kagome opened her eyes and screamed happily, causing Sesshomaru to growl in pain. His sensitive ears had bore the brunt of her outburst, but she didn't care. It had worked! She hadn't been sure that Sesshomaru's volatile acid would accept the help of her purifying magic but it had and, with the help of their powerful bond, they had created the most amazing and dangerous attack she had ever seen. She kind of wished that her friends had been there, instead of the hut, to witness it, because they'd never believe her otherwise.

At least Kagome thought her friends had returned to the hut. Despite her orders to return, her friends had unknowingly stayed around to watch the fight unfold. Kagome just didn't know that…yet. Sesshomaru did though. He could smell them hovering above them on the neko-youkai, Kirara.

Sesshomaru nudged Kagome, pestering her to look to the sky, but when she finally did, her friends had already alighted next them, and by the time Kagome's eyes returned to the ground, the exterminator had already jumped from the neko and was speeding towards them with a grin on her face.

"Kagome-nee-chan, Sesshomaru-sama that was AMAZING!" She barreled into them, pulling Kagome from his slackened hold and dragging her to her other awaiting friends.

Miroku noticed her changes first. "Kagome-chan, you are a demon!"

Sango gasped in shock. "What? Wait…is this why you left with him? To become a demon?" She looked at Sesshomaru suspiciously and whispered: "Did he hurt you?"

Kagome fought the urge to glare at her clearly oblivious friends. "First: I did not leave with him. He found me and saved me. I was alone, on a quest, searching for something I no longer need. Two: Yes, I am a demon and I have done this to myself. Third: He did not and will never cause me harm. Finally: There is something about me that none of you has yet to notice. I will not point it out and I will not," she gave Sango a glare, "give any details about how this other change came about. It is painful memory I do not wish to dig out. But I will tell you why I am a demon as soon as I have something to eat."

InuYasha was the first to point out the other change a few minutes later, when all of them sat in Kaede's hut, eating the last of Kagome's ramen. "Kagome, you smell different. I know you've been with Sesshomaru a long time, but I still should smell you scent over his. All I smell is," he shot a look at Sesshomaru and pointed a clawed finger in the same direction, "_him_. What exactly were you two doing when Miroku contacted you?"

Enlightenment dawned across Miroku's face. "Yes, Kagome, I do recall you both in the same bed…what were you doing?"

Kagome fought the urge to laugh. They didn't get it. "Sleeping," she answered plainly before shoveling another spoonful of ramen into her mouth.

Sango caught on, finally, after about five minutes of silence. "Kami, why did I not realize it sooner? You looked at me when you said you wouldn't share details…that should have been clue enough!" She stared at Kagome and Sesshomaru in shock. "You two are mated!"

Silence hung in the air for a long while before Sesshomaru finally spoke. "Hai, was it not obvious?"

Three things happened next: InuYasha almost exploded, Miroku dropped his ramen in his lap, and there was knock on the door.

With the Clan

The Clan of the Firenze was in a panic. Their Lord and Lady had disappeared suddenly, at the break of dawn, without alerting even one of them. They had thought them fast asleep but when Sakura had went to check on the health of Kagome-sama at 5 a.m., they were gone, leaving only a dripping hole in their wake.

Sakura had come back screaming orders for them to prepare another chamber for their Lord and Lady and for Umeko and Zami to grab fire stallions and to follow her into the woods on a search party.

Zami and Mira had done so without hesitation and Joru had sent Katakura and Mira to prepare another chamber. Everything had run smoothly until Zami had come back later in the morning to report that they had found the Lord and Lady but there were hundreds of bodies surrounding the area where their scent was the strongest. It had been impossible for Sakura, himself, or Umeko to tell if their Lord and Lady were alive or not.

It was safe to say…they were worried.

With Kagome and the Others

Kagome had been surprised by only one of the three things that had occurred: the knock on the door. InuYasha had always been one to overreact, so his explosion was to be expected. Miroku had always been clumsy when nervous so the spilt ramen was also expected but the knock on the door was something Kagome had not expected so, thus, she was inclined to not open the door, lest it be another hostile demon.

"Sesshomaru…," he wasn't listening; he was in yet another argument with his hanyou brother. She tried again: "Sesshomaru…" Not listening still. She tried a third time. "SESSHOMARU!" He cringed and turned.

"Hai, mate?"

"There's something knocking on the door. It smells of dog demon and there is a kitsune demon out there with it. Find out if they're friendly or not." She motioned to the door and he stood and sulked over to it almost lazily.

"Names," he growled.

The demon on the other side stopped knocking. "Sakura-chan of the Clan, my Lord."

He rolled his eyes when Sakura fell silent. "And your partner?"

He heard what he knew to be the kitsune female, step forward. "Umeko-chan of the Clan, my Lord."

He opened the door and was face to face with a very angry and worried Sakura. He wasn't greeted with the usual "Good Morning". No, he wasn't greeted politely at all.

Sakura instead greeted him with: "We all thought you were dead! Are you both _crazy_? You could have been killed out here alone!"

Sesshomaru's eyes blinked red. "Do you doubt my ability to protect myself and mate?"

Sakura saw her life flash before her eyes. She had just called the Lord of the Western Lands crazy and incapable to protect his mate. She was going to die. She did the only thing she could think of…: "LADY KAGOME!"

With Ruri

The Palace of the Moon had become increasingly lonely after Kumito's abrupt leave earlier in the morning. She regretted everything she had said. She knew that he loved her deeply but the stress of running the East, raising their twins and now partially running the West, had gotten to him on the deepest level. He had begun to think and act irrationally and it had eaten at her already frazzled nerves. How was she supposed to cope with her mate's emotional breakdowns, the running of two opposite lands, the baby-sitting of her two children _and_ her best friend's strange disappearance and love troubles? She was only one woman!

She sighed, "Males and their problems!"

With Kagome

"LADY KAGOME!" Kagome turned and was looking into the paled face of Sakura and the tensed face of Sesshomaru, complete with red eyes.

"No…SESSHOMARU!" He turned a heated glare in her direction.

"Why should I not kill her where she stands for her ignorance? She has disgraced both Lord and Lady of the Western all in one sentence and had disgraced my honor in another. She deserves her punishment." He turned his attention back to Sakura and grasped a glowing hand around her throat.

Kagome stood and bolted to where Sesshomaru stood, wrapping her arms around his middle from behind. She felt him relax and lower Sakura to the ground. "Death is not the only punishment in this world, koi, I promise you. Use your mind…is it not better to make her suffer than to end her life so hastily? Would that not be a gift compared to suffering?" She rubbed her face in his back and then walked to where Sakura stood.

"Sakura…you have disgraced me and my mate. The punishment would normally be death but I propose that, instead, you are sent to the Palace Moon with orders to be sent to the side of Shippo, my son. You will be his guard and her servant. Is this understood?"

"Hai, Lady Kagome. I am truly sorry for any disrespect that I have shown to you or your mate. I truly meant none of it; I was speaking in the heat of anger. But, I have problem, Lady. I am the leader of my Clan. They cannot function without proper instruction." She faced Sesshomaru.

"May I request that you move the entire Clan onto the premises of the Palace Moon? They would serve you well. I have two experienced hunters: Shenji, and Umeko; two healers: my mother, Katakura, and Gin; two experienced spies: my brother, Zami, and Makoto; one experienced guard, besides me: Mira; and my father is a Sensei: he had taught the members of my Clan everything they know."

Sesshomaru looked skeptical but Kagome eased his skepticism. "I am new to the palace and I will need guards and my own healers. Shippo needs a Sensei and we can always use the spies and hunters to our advantage against the Northern territory should they decide to attack us for the assassination of their Lord." Sesshomaru nodded and took Sakura's arm. He raised one poison claw and burned a crescent mark into the inside of her wrist. She flinched in pain but kept quiet.

"You now work for this Sesshomaru. All of you Clan members will need to be branded, no matter their age." Sakura nodded stiffly.

"You and Mira shall be Kagome's personal guards. Your mother shall become the castle healer and Gin will be Kagome's and the children's personal healer. Shenji and Umeko shall work for my cook and will gather the meat for the castle's meals. Zami and Makoto will be spies in my army, only reporting to myself or Kagome about any of their findings. You father shall be my children's Sensei. Is this all understood?" Sakura nodded again.

"I will set up quarters for you in the East Wing. Kagome and I and the children will sleep in the West. I expect only obedience from you all. I have granted you a great pardon…sparing your life, but it was only because I am in need of the services your Clan possesses. You will return to your cave and gather your belongings and fellow members and then will go straight to the Palace Moon except for you, Mira and Gin. I will need you here to help guard Kagome and her friends on our trip back. I cannot protect them all and I do not wish Kagome to be harmed."

Sakura nodded and she and Umeko left the hut in a swirl of kimonos, mounted their fire stallions and flew off towards the Clan, utterly humiliated.

Umeko spoke over her shoulder to Sakura in an acid tone. "I swear, Sakura. Why do you always have to pull the rest of the Clan into everything? We would have been fine without you! Zami could have taken over when he reached proper age and your father could lead us until then. He is not too old to lead, Sakura. Why did you do this?"

Sakura growled and Umeko flinched. "I did this because if I hadn't then I would have tampered with the future. You know that I have dreams, Umeko…I see things from the future of this world. I see all of us there on the day of birth of the Firenze. There will be an attack that day and we must protect the Lord, Lady and Children. They will be weak and vulnerable. We are not the only ones that know the prophecy, Umeko! The Lord and Lady are not safe alone!"

Umeko's expression fell. "I am sorry, Sakura-nee-chan. I forgot about your dreams. I am sorry for not trusting you. You are the leading force in our Clan. We owe our success and survival to you and your family. The Clan owes you everything. You picked us up off of the street and your father taught the ways. I am forever grateful and the others will see in time how magnificent your leadership has been. Please forgive my impertinence, Sakura."

Sakura smiled at her friend and nodded her head. "You are forgiven. Now…let's gather the others. I am needed by my Lord and Lady."

"As are we all…as are we all."


	8. Chapter 8

I'm sorry if there was any confusion in the last chapter. I kind of mentioned Rin and she's supposed to be dead. For that I am sorry. I have edited that chapter to eliminate the confusion. Sorry for any inconvenience. ………………………………………………………………………………………………... 

Chapter Eight

Ruri was still pacing when the messenger entered the chamber with a letter from her daughter, Mizuki. She opened it with a shaky hand. Had something happened to the East?

_**Dear okaa-san,  
Brother and I have discovered the location of Sesshomaru-sama. He is on the move in our lands and is with a foreign female chiyu-inu-youkai. She is like nothing we have ever sensed. Maru and the other males of our castle were all on edge and trying to escape to find her earlier today. She must be of considerable power because it took all me and all of my personal servants and guards to keep Maru contained. I am worried. But just as suddenly as it began: it stopped. The men stopped fighting and returned to their jobs. It was as if someone turned off the female's power supply. There is only one reason for this okaa : she received the mark of a powerful demon. The only single taiyoukai I have heard of is our Lord Sesshomaru. I think he has mated her, okaa. This could be very bad for the woman that holds his heart. She will call it betrayal and she will die. I am scared for her. Maru is asleep now and it is growing late. I think I shall retire but I will keep these things in my mind. I will think them over and together the two of us shall think of a plan to save Sesshomaru-sama and his lady love. **_

_**Mizuki-chan**_

Ruri growled and called for the nearest servant. The phoenix youkai padded into the room shakily and bowed to the Neko-taiyoukai. "Yes milady"

"I want every scout, spy and hunter in this damn place dispatched out into the East. I want Lord Sesshomaru-sama found…now!" The servant nodded and scurried from the room and Ruri could hear her giving the orders to the Captain of the guard. 'How dare Sesshomaru do this to Kagome? How dare he fall into the trap of a foreign female and abandon his heart? How DARE he'

This day was just getting better and better.

With Sesshomaru

Kagome smiled at her mate , running a delicately clawed hand against his cheek. He leaned into her touch and kissed her palm, lightly, sending shivers up her spine. She flushed innocently, pulling back her hand, slowly.

"I'm proud of you, Sesshomaru. You are becoming an even more brilliant ruler of the West. They will like their new leader, almost as much as I do"

"Hai…but it's an unusual feeling…this forgiveness. I am not used to forgiving those beneath me, but then I met you and your companions and my very fiber of being has been turned inside out"

"Get used to the feeling, because you will not kill our children when they piss you off and then revive them again with tenseiga, pleading that you taught them a lesson"

Sesshomaru laughed, surprising everyone else in the hut. Kagome's companions had never heard him laugh, chuckle, and/or giggle. Some took it better than others.

InuYasha sighed. "Now I've seen everything!" He smiled, showing of his fangs, a ramen noodle was wiggling between his canines. Kagome stifled a giggle. Sesshomaru bared his own, newly cleaned fangs, a bit of poison leaking onto his lip. He closed his mouth, swallowing the poison only he was immune to.

"Kagome, I swear to you I will never kill and/or mutilate our future pups to any extent. Swore upon my honor as a Lord of Japan." She replied stonily, with a playful glint in her eye, silently telling them all it was a joke.

"Good"

Sango, apparently, hadn't caught the glint. She glared. "Just good? If I were you I would dump his ass for even suggesting he'd harm your children! Good? Ha! I don't want any high and mighty demon slaughtering my god-children, be they human or demon"

Sesshomaru scoffed, still thinking it was a joke, but he was a little worried. "I don't slaughter humans…I just kill them. They have an instantaneous death"

Sango rolled her eyes. "But they die nonetheless"

Sesshomaru growled, sensing that the situation was turning hostile. "Demons require sustenance, just as humans do, demon slayer"

Sango grabbed Kagome from Sesshomaru and held her behind her, gripping her arm harshly. Kagome yelped in obvious pain. "You eat humans"

Sesshomaru, seeing his mate in distress in the other adult's arms, his eyes bled a deep crimson. "Unhand my mate, demon slayer. She is in obvious pain"

"Ha! Pain? She is my sister, you baka youkai! I am merely protecting her from you"

"Sango-chan…" Sesshomaru was snarling and the girl behind Sango was sobbing. Sango looked back at Kagome; she was in hysterics and a purplish bruise was spreading up her forearm. "Kagome I"

"Let me go"

Seeing the fear and pain in her best friend's eyes, Sango released her grip. Kagome collapsed, sobbing, but before she could hit the ground Sesshomaru shot past Sango, grabbing Kagome around the waist, then dashed out of the hut, blowing a hole in the door.

Sango wailed, running to the broken door. "He'll kill her"

InuYasha sighed. "No…he won't…he has gone to prove his worth to her. His beast saw that she was in pain, and has taken Sesshomaru over, intent on apologizing his way to Kagome. And to heal her injuries and her heart. She thought he was going to leave her when you attacked him. She was terrified"

Miroku sprouted a lecherous grin. "His way of apologizing?" InuYasha growled. "No, baka." Miroku sat, pouting. "Young love is so boring"

Sango glared from the door, hoisting hiraiikotsu onto her shoulder. "I see how I rate." Then she threw the giant boomerang, knocking Miroku into the wall. "I'm going for a walk."

With the Clan

"Sakura-nee-san, someone is here to see you. She says that she's the Lady of the East and is looking for Lord Sesshomaru-sama." Zami cried. Sakura growled at her younger brother sending him sprawling back inside the cave. She was in a bad mood.

She stormed into the main hall of their cave dwelling, looking towards the floor, which resulted in her almost knocking over the very perturbed neko in her path. The neko caught herself before she went sprawling to the floor and glared down at the inu that was still staring at the ground, oblivious that she had just nearly knocked over the second most feared demon in all of Japan, bested only be Sesshomaru-sama himself. "Watch where you are going, dog"

"Ugh...I smell prim and proper cat...and what do I owe the pleasure, your superior cat-ness? I need to get going...I have to meet the Lady of the East. I think it's Tiako-sama, is it not"

The taiyoukai demonness laughed. "Iie, dog. Her daughter has taken over since her horrible death last winter. Killed by a rabid kitsune youkai, I do believe"

Sakura yawned, still glaring at the stone floor of the cave. "How...unfortunate," she spat out boredly, not a single trace of compassion in her voice. Sakura then felt the neko tense and her aura darken in anger; she shivered involuntarily.

"Look up, dog, and stare into the eyes of the Lady of the East: Ruri Kiyori Yaoki Genji, daughter of Lord Kenichii Hatami Genji and Princess Tiako Nanake Yaoki. Plead for your life, dog"

'Aw shite... I've heard of Ruri: Sesshomaru-sama's greatest friend and ally and only rival in power and number of kills. This will be the second time today I will have to grovel for my life.' "Lady Ruri-sama, forgive this foolish Sakura, I have been blinded by the curse of a foul mood and could not recognize you! I beg for your forgiveness and I place my life in your forgiving hands"

Ruri laughed. "You are forgiven, dog, but I ask you this: have you seen or heard from Lord Sesshomaru Tashio, Ruler of the Western domain? And do not lie to me, dog for I can detect the smell of your deceit. Speak, fool"

Sakura gaped at the taiyoukai in front of her. The Lady's eyes were glowing a stunning silver with slivers of blue cascading through them and her auburn curls had detached themselves from her comb and were flying around her in an imaginary wind. She looked ethereal and deadly...'and pissed off,' she added, terror gripping her being.

"I have seen Sesshomaru-sama. I was with him and his mate no less that a day ago. They are staying at the village of Edo with his mate's companions. When I arrived they had just completed a gruesome battle against a massive amount of hibi-youkai. He did not mention a need to speak with you, though. Is everything alright with my Lord, Ruri-sama"

Ruri had her eyes glued open in shock. 'Mate? How dare he!' "Dog, I shall be taking my leave of this place. Send for the young boy, he took my armor and swords; I want them back...NOW"

Her angry tone sent Sakura sprawling to try and find Zami. "Nii-san! NII-SAN! Bring me the Lady Ruri's armor and swords! Quickly!" She ran about frantically and yet couldn't find her younger brother. Where had he gone? "Zami-kun?" She ran into the sleeping chambers of their cavern home and instead of finding Zami, like she had hoped she would, she found Lady Ruri's armor and swords and a note from the object of her worrying.

_**Sakura-chan **_

_**Please forgive me. I have done something horrible. I have been having trysts with a kitsune youkai named Harako. She says that her father was the assassin that was sent to kill the Lady Tiako. I could not bear to be in the caves anymore with the Lady there. I feel horrible guilt and yet I cannot bring myself to tell Ruri because of my deep love for Harako. So I have run away, leaving only you with my burden to help me shoulder it. I love you, sister.**_

_**Zamminni, your little brother**_

"No…Zami…Sesshomaru will destroy you…"Sakura let a tear slip down her face. "I love you Zami-kun but I will not betray my lord or his companions if they ask your secret of me." She grabbed Lady Ruri's possessions and exited the chamber, awaiting her fate. "Your possessions, milady"

"Hai, thank you, dog…what is your name, follower of Sesshomaru"

"Sakura Loki of the Clan of the Firenze, milady"

"Sakura, I thank you for your hospitality, but I will be going now. May the Gods be with you in your many travels"

Sakura thought for a minute: 'I haven't been this formal in ages…'. "You as well, milady. May your travels better your wondrous rule over the East." Ruri nodded and exited and

Sakura gave a deep sigh. The other Clan members poured out from the shadows, clutching their belongings. She turned to them, an apology on her lips, but her voice was shot. All she could do was point outside, to the West, but her Clan knew her well enough to understand.

With Sesshomaru

Sesshomaru landed, planting Kagome on the ground in front of him. Her face was blotchy and tear streaks ran through the dirt on her cheeks. Her hair was matted from the wind.

She wobbled and placed a hand to her head. "I don't think I like flying too much…ow…I don't understand how you do it"

Sesshomaru growled, beckoning Kagome to him. Kagome didn't come. "Sesshomaru-koi, I want the real you back. You're scaring me terribly." Kagome's eyes were once again filled with silver tears.

"Kagome…" Sesshomaru's eyes cleared, slowly. "Are you afraid of me?" He reached a hand out to her, his own silver tear gracing his pale cheek.

Kagome sobbed and flew into his arms, holding onto him like he was the last thing on earth. "I though you were going to leave me…you were being possessed by your inner beast….I thought…." Her voice was lost to sobs. Sesshomaru kissed her forehead, holding her sob-wracked body to his muscular chest.

"I'm sorry, Kagome, that I ever made you doubt me. I would never leave you unless you send me away. You are my everything. My world"

Kagome sniffled, her head still in his haori. "I thought you were going to kill Sango-chan. I t was supposed one big stupid joke but Sango took it the wrong way and the both of you took it too far." She buried her head in the crook of his neck, as he lifted her slightly off the ground, making up the height difference between the two of them. "You're both too overprotective of me…" she mumbled, her voice muffled by his corded neck. "But I love you"

"I love you too, my koiishi"

Kagome lifted her head, looking into his eyes with adoration. "I'm sorry about what Sango said. She was out of line. I know your heart is good, my love"

Sesshomaru smiled. "She was never not forgiven. She is a loyal friend who did not approve of me. You will meet many of my old companions that will not be fond of you. Something about you being too outspoken"

Kagome laughed. "Oh"

"But my dearest friend, the one who I grew up with, she will adore you. You two will be friends, I'm sure of it. She's the one who encouraged me to find you…Loyal friends are one in a million"

"And how would you know a loyal friend?" A female figure stood poised on a rock behind the couple. Sesshomaru turned, recognizing the voice almost instantly. It was hard to miss the distinct articulation, distinctive of royal blood, and the chocolaty, warm, tone of the Eastern locals. "Ruri"

Kagome released herself from Sesshomaru's grip, looking at the figure on the rock. Her auburn hair swirled around her and her golden kimono billowed against her legs. She looked deadly. "The Ruri? Of the East? The most powerful demoness in the country"

"Hai, that is I, and who are you, foreign youkai?" Her eyes blazed an angry orange as she addressed Kagome.

"Ruri-chan, why are you so angry"

"Use my proper title, dog"

Sesshomaru growled. "Lady Ruri-sama"

She jumped from the rock, landing gracefully in front of Sesshomaru. Her kimono fluttered around her in the breeze she created and her eyes were a brilliant silver. Her skin, as far as Kagome could see, was a golden tan, and her hair cascaded in auburn ringlets down her back. She was a beautiful creature. Her eyes bore a hole in Sesshomaru's skull and her gaze was steady. "Sesshomaru-sama, you are an….idiot"

Sesshomaru's eyes shot open and he darted forward to seize Ruri by the throat. She dodged gracefully and perfectly, landing behind him; between him and Kagome. "Ha! You think you can catch me and kill just like that? Fight, you coward! OR have I finally surpassed you in power?" Ruri then ripped off her kimono, revealing a leather taijya-like ensemble. She pulled two swords from a sheath on her back; one of them glowing blue and the other glowing red.

Sesshomaru, glanced warily at the extremely powerful twin katanas. "You plan to use Ignis and Glacies against me, Ruri?

Ruri laughed at his discomfort with the blades. "Not if you answer me one question…if you answer it correctly, I will leave you and your mate be"

"What?" he asked, stepping closer to his target.

"Why?"

Sesshomaru looked puzzled. "You're too vague. Why what"

Ruri hissed under her breath, signaling that her feline half was pressing on her mind. "Why did you abandon your heart? Why did you leave your love in favor of this foreign youkai?" Her silver eyes brimmed with disappointment and inner anguish, as if she had done the same thing: leaving her love.

Kagome blinked, her eyes swirling with a rainbow array of colors. "Your love?" She clutched her heart, turning away from Sesshomaru's gaze.

Sesshomaru stuttered, stunned by her inability to recognize the farce. She was his love! "Kagome, I"

Ruri blanched. "Kagome?" Her eyes changed back to their natural blue hue. "This is Kagome? You Lady Love"

Sesshomaru sighed deeply, walking to wear Kagome stood, wrapping a muscled forearm around her petite waist. "Yes!" Kagome relaxed in his arms, bathing in his masculine warmth, her eyes changing back to normal.

"Yes, I am Kagome Higurashi. Ningen turned chiyu-inu-youkai."

Ruri bowed her head and returned to the rock and pulled a black satchel out form behind it. She opened it, pulling out an ebony kimono with a golden dragon spiraling up the right side. She tugged it over her head and over her leather ensemble, then fastened it with a golden silk obi with black stitching. She then pulled her auburn curls into a low ponytail, letting a few strands fall free. She then returned to the couple and bowed at the middle, signaling respect but not obedience.

"I am Lady Ruri Kiyori Yaoki Genji, ruler of the East, ally to the West and South, and a deeply apologetic friend of Lord Sesshomaru Tashio, and hopefully one of yours, if only on a surface level"

Sesshomaru bowed his head, smiling slightly. "You do not need forgiveness from this Sesshomaru. It is my fault that I did not send word of Kagome's changes. There must have been a power flux"

Ruri straightened, scrutinizing Kagome, like she was searching for a source of a strange power. "Hai…an extreme one. My son and all of the males in the East and North provinces were affected. The South are mostly all wolves, and wolves mate for life and have one chosen mate they choose early in their life cycles." Kagome nodded, remembering Koga's obsession with her. He couldn't have been very old when she had first met him. He had been single and had the rebellious side of a teenager. Sesshomaru tapped his claws on her wrist. She sat down, per his silent instructions, tucking her legs beneath her. He followed suit. Ruri sat next and looked at Kagome straight on. "You look confused"

Kagome nodded. "Power flux"

Ruri smiled. "You are the most powerful demoness in this country, Lady Kagome-sama"

"Please, Ruri-sama, Kagome or Kagome-chan is fine"

"Only if you do me the same honor."

"Of course, but please continue"

Ruri cleared her throat. "Kagome, you may not be the deadliest demon, but your power exceeds my own and matches only Sesshomaru's. In fact, your power signals are like yin and yang. His is black and your is a brilliant white"

Sesshomaru nodded, catching onto the point of the conversation. "Though I can kill 1,000 in one strike, you can bring them all back from the ashes. But, as a downside to your fantastic abilities, you cannot heal yourself, or at least not as well as most demons can, naturally. Notice: you still have your bruise from earlier today and you wince when your bend over because of a slash Kitsubi made on your stomach, whereas I am of perfect health."

Kagome exhaled, wincing as she did. "Cruel irony. I can heal everyone but myself"

"Hai, irony. Just as I can kill anyone but my brother; though the urge to kill him is definitely smaller now"

Kagome smiled. "That's good"

Ruri stood and moved silently to sit on an overturned log. She glanced adoringly at the couple, praying silently for Kumito's and her precious children's return. Maru and Mizuki had been without their mother long enough and it was time for the real ruler of the East to return to her homeland. All she needed to do was get Kagome and Sesshomaru to the Western Palace to relieve her of her duties.

Kagome broke her contemplation; she was walking towards her, a bright smile on her face. This woman was happiness in physical form! "Ruri-chan? Would you like to come with us to Edo? We have friends there. InuYasha and the other are waiting on our return. They're probably worried sick about us"

Ruri couldn't hide her chuckle at Sesshomaru's disgusted expression at being considered 'friends' with his 'brother.' "I would love to, Kagome! InuYasha and I used to be the greatest of friends when we were younger. He was much younger than I though. Weren't we pleasant friends, Sesshou-chan"

Sesshomaru's eyes flashed green at the memory, as if his very brain was sickened at the thought. "Hai, my younger brother was infatuated with you"

"Infatuated…such a nasty word, but a good word nonetheless!" Then Ruri gathered her satchel and pulled her black leather boots onto her feet. She gestured impatiently for the couple to lead the way; they had started a kissing fest. "Onward"

And with that, even though Kagome was extremely embarrassed and Sesshomaru was extremely smug and satisfied, the hodgepodge trio took off to Edo. -

* * *

And that's another chapter!

R&R

Kudos and Mucho Love!

Darkness


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry if the last chapter looked weird. The future ones will probably look that way too. I got a new typing program and apparently it's non-compatible with fan-fiction. Urgh, right?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter Nine

-InuYasha's Forest-

"You're crazy, Ayame! I am not going to apologize to him! I'll apologize to Kagome, but never to him. I meant every word I said. He's a disgusting creature, bent on killing innocent humans for pleasure." Sango glared at her youkai friend. Her brow was creased in annoyance and she pinned Sango with a deadly glare.

"Why? Because he's a demon? Or because he turned you best friend into one?"

Sango was flabbergasted. She stuttered but her prickling tears got the best of her. She sobbed. "Neither…it's just that…now that she's chosen a demon husband, I won't get to see my god-children grow…I'll be dead, whereas they will live on, still beautiful, for practically forever. Demons are nearly immortal…"

Ayame held Sango as the woman cried, not noticing the three approaching taiyoukai. She was completely absorbed in the morbid and depressing moment. She had never thought of that. All of her human friends would grow old and die whilst she was still young and beautiful. She was over 200 already and humans only lived, at the most, to be 100. She couldn't hold back the torrent of tears that slid down her face.

Kagome stood silently, watching the heart-warming scene with tears in her beautiful eyes. She had heard all of it and the pain in her heart was evident. She would lose Sango and Miroku to the cruel hands of fate and she could do nothing to stop it.

Sensing her anguish, Sesshomaru put a hand on her shoulder, rubbing soothing circles with his thumb. She put her hand over his; it was wet with her silver tears. He felt pained. This was something he could not fix with gentle words and intimate gestures. This was a problem of the heart that could never be fixed, no matter how hard Kagome tried.

Ruri spoke then, ending the pained and deafening silence. "We should continue on. They won't like that we've been watching them. It's terribly rude."

Sesshomaru nodded, disentangling his hand from Kagome's and removing it from her shoulder, urging her towards her crying friends. She walked nearer to them, timidly. She stopped a few feet from them and stared at an apparently interesting fleck of dirt on her shoe. "Hi, guys."

The two other women looked up, tears glistening on their cheeks, necks and most prominently in their eyes. "Hello, Lady Kagome," the wolf-youkai spoke, wiping the moisture droplets from her face and neck.

"Ayame, it's just Kagome. My title may be more important now than it was before, but you do not need to use it."

"But you are royalty now-"

"Yes, and it's merely a title. You are my friend and in my mind I can never be of higher rank than my friends."

Expecting a mouthy retort, Ruri was surprised to see Sesshomaru silent and nodding. She smiled, warmly. 'Kagome is most definitely a good influence on my friend.'

Ayame smiled too, extending her hand out to Sesshomaru, who had just recently joined the group, for him to shake. He accepted it, smiling good-naturedly. "It is good to meet on friendly terms, Lord Sesshomaru-sama."

"Sesshomaru, please."

Sango stared down at the ground, either in embarrassment or suppressed rage. She felt Sesshomaru prod her lightly on the forearm. "It is Sango, yes?"

"Yes. That is my name."

He kept her gaze, his eyes warm and friendly. "Sango, I am deeply sorry if I offended you earlier today. It was not my intention. Kagome meant it only to be a little humor. You must have misinterpreted it, and, for that, I apologize."

Sango's eyes widened in complete surprise. "You're apologizing? To me? A ningen?"

"Yes," he extended his hand. "I extend this hand in friendship to you. It is up to your judgment on whether you wish to accept the offering."

Sango stuck her hand our nervously, grasping his lightly, avoiding his extremely deadly claws. He grasped the proffered hand tightly, making her cringe in discomfort. He let go, bowing his head in apology. "Did I hurt you?"

She waved him off with the uninjured hand. "Nah, I just wasn't expecting your grip to be so strong. Most demons are such babies." She was obviously referring to InuYasha and Shippo.

He laughed then, changing everyone's attention to himself. "Only half-demons." He smiled, showing off his pearly white fangs. His eyes glittered in amusement.

Kagome laughed, propelling herself across the grass and into Sango's awaiting arms. She held her friend close. "Thank you, Sango-chan. He really is good. I can see it in him when he smiles like that or when he holds me, or how he talks to Ruri-chan and Shippo. He's just had it so hard in his lifetime."

Sango nodded. "I know how he feels. I just wish he were human. Then you wouldn't have changed. We could've grown old together. Like we planned…." She stifled a heart-wrenching sob. "I could've watched your children grow up."

Kagome began to cry again. "Oh, Sango-chan, I'm sorry!" She clutched to her friend, desperately, both girls pouring their sorrows out onto one another.

Ruri looked on, Sesshomaru at her side. "Love is powerful, Sesshomaru. Do not ever forget that. Never. The minute you do, the world will lose it's spark and your heart will freeze. You have the love of a wonderful woman and you do not want to lose that. Don't make the same mistake I did."

Sesshomaru turned to his dearest friend. "Ruri-chan, I can't take away the pain from your heart but I can tell you this: I will never forget the love I have in my heart. Never again." Then he chuckled lightly. "Were we ever like that?"

Ruri giggled. "Of course. Without the crying, that is."

Sesshomaru nodded, a smile gracing his lips. He surveyed the two women. Ayame had left, wishing to return to InuYasha. Anyone could see that Sango and Kagome had been through the depths of hell together. When Kagome lost Sango to cruel fate, she would be devastated.

He turned to Ruri, pain laced within his amber eyes. "Is there a spell to turn ningens into demons?"

Ruri thought hard, digging into the depths of her mind, searching for the answer. "Yes," she answered, unsure. "But it's complicated and dangerous. It requires a taiyoukai's life blood for each ningen, voluntarily, and it can only be performed by a powerful demon miko."

Sesshomaru's eyes widened. "So it can be done?"

"Hai, but why do you ask? You're not thinking-"

"Of course I am."

"Sesshomaru-"

"Don't chastise me, woman. I have my own mind and have the right to give my blood to whomever I choose." He pinned her with a determined glare. "So be quiet."

"No! You're not thinking clearly!" She nearly tackled him.

"Shush! You're making a ruckus! I don't want Kagome alarmed, so will you please shut your mouth!" He grabbed her and put his clawed hand over her mouth. "Promise to keep quiet?"

She bit him and he let go and tackled her. She went down hissing and swiping her claws at him. "Stop it, woman!"

She stiffened and pushed him off of her. Straightening her clothing, she stepped away from Sesshomaru and sat on a log, fuming. "Don't speak right now."

And, to her surprise, he kept his mouth shut.

-With Mizuki-

Mizuki attacked her opponent, sending the bear youkai sprawling across the courtyard. He was bleeding badly but was as stubborn as ever. Mizuki had barely a scratch on her. And this thing thought it would have been successful in killing her mother. Ha! Her skills were minute compared to her mother's. "What are you doing here, bear?" she asked for the last time.

The bear laughed, spewing crimson blood across the parched grass. He smiled, gruesomely, making Mizuki nearly retch. He wobbled on his feet and his eyes went in and out of focus. His attack was faltering. 'About damn time', Mizuki hissed, silently.

"Wouldn't you like to know, Miss Princess!" He was taunting her. Even on the brink of death, the bear still has pride and spunk. How very unfortunate for him.

Mizuki hissed, launching herself at the bear, changing on the way. Her tiny body became that of a powerful and deadly feline. Auburn fur coated her body, black stripes running in odd directions all through it. Her piercing silver eyes were directed solely on her prey and her razor-sharp teeth were bared.

Her body was on his in a matter of seconds, shrouding him in a mass of deadly killing power. She tore at him, unmercifully, ripping his blue-tinted vocal chords from his throat and gouging out one yellow-green eye. Then she retreated, watching as he gasped for air. His healing skills sealed his throat and eyes socket, leaving him half-blind and mute. "You should have told me," she bit out, whilst changing in to her humanoid form once again. Her clothes were torn from her abrupt change, and her arms were cut, but in whole she was fine.

The bear stood, grasping his throat. He reached out to grab her arm, but his depth perception was extremely depleted , sending him to the ground instead. She laughed, watching as her few injuries slowly healed over. "It will take you at least 100 years to grow your voice back, idiot. Now get off my lands! Return to Tatsuki and tell him-" she paused, scratching a note written in her blood on a scrap of cloth. "No…give them this note. Our alliance is null and void with the South. Be gone!"

Then she pointed her dagger at him, making him dart away from , into the forest, note in hand.

Maru ran up then, throwing his arms around her. "Sister! Are you alright?" He looked at her from top to bottom, checking for any serious injuries. Felines weren't known to heal as quickly as Dogs and Bears.

"I am fine, but I need to write mother. That was an assassination attempt from the Southern Lands. They blame us for the death of Lord Kitsubi." She grimaced when a headache hit her full on. Maru held her to him and began walking towards the castle.

"Why?"

"I don't know….but our alliance has been compromised. We need to align with the North, and quickly. The South and North have the biggest armies. With the North being all wolves, this negotiation could take a while."

Maru nodded, throwing his black cloak around his sister's shoulders. "Let's go inside, Mizuki." She agreed, wincing as she walked, and together the twins entered their home, praying for their mother's swift return, or the presence of a miracle.

-With the Clan-

The Western Palace, home of Sesshomaru Tashio, was in ruins. Huge flames erupted from the windows and hundreds of servants and guards scurried about, trying to douse the many deadly flames. Bodies littered the ground: charred and in pieces. A mass a guards to the left, gave proof that the Prince of the castle had survived the fire.

Sakura nearly fainted at the sight of it all. This was not part of the plan. "What happened?" she bellowed., catching one of the many servant's attention. The woman was frail and looked to be older than Sesshomaru by at least 400 years. She had deep red-orange hair with wisps of silver running through it. Her huge feathered tail fanned out behind her and was covered in grime and ash. Her black kimono was torn and Sakura couldn't tell if it was black naturally or just tainted from the smoke. She was phoenix.

The servant coughed hard, covering her blackened mouth a free hand. She looked up at Sakura, judging her, trying to decide if she was peasant or royalty. She settled for in between, answering Sakura's demanding question with only a hint of true respect. "An assassination attempt, Lady. From the Southern Lands. We barely got out in time. We lost several of our best guards and servants to the flames, but Prince Shippo was saved by our general. By the looks of your wrist, I would bet that you are the new servants, yes?"

Sakura nodded, fatigue laced in her voice. "Yes."

The figure snorted, sending soot flying. "I am Mai, head of the staff. I've been here since Lord Sesshomaru was a pup and have been his personal attendant. All servants report to me or Lord Sesshomaru himself. If you're part of the guards or army, you report to General Tachi. He's the tall panther-youkai standing by Prince Shippo."

"I am Sakura Loki of the Firenze, and these people behind me are the rest of the Firenze Clan. They are loyal to me, and thus are loyal to any I serve."

Mai looked skeptical. "Where are their brands?" At Sakura's confused look, she pointed to the crescent moon burn on Sakura's inner wrist. "It proves their loyalty to Lord Sesshomaru and the West."

"Sesshomaru has not yet marked them, but I swear on my honor that they are trustworthy. They are allies and friends of the West, I assure you."

"Fine, but only because we need the help. " Then Mai disappeared into the expanse of people , ordering around almost all of them. Some men even cowered in her presence. Sakura nearly laughed, but thought better of it. She sighed instead.

"This is horrible. This is not what we expected coming here. One of us needs to alert the Lord and Lady immediately. They could be in grave danger."

Katakura turned to the group and surveyed them all with piercing eyes. "Who's fastest? Speak up now, don't be afraid."

Everyone turned and pointed at Mira. She looked slightly embarrassed, standing there talking to her horse. She stuttered, hiding her face. "Yea…I'll go."

Sakura waved her off and Mira jumped onto her stallion, kicking his sides, and disappeared from view, heading towards the West.

-With Sesshomaru-

Sesshomaru glanced at his angry friend, desperation in his voice. "Ruri-san, we need to find that spell." Sesshomaru turned to her, determination clouding his golden eyes. "Kagome will die if she loses them and she is my everything. You should know that."

Ruri looked at him, a questioning expression on her face. "Them?"

"The married couple. Sango and….Miroku? I think."

"I know who they are…but two humans, Sesshomaru? One human is hard enough! We'd never be able to find two taiyoukai willing to give blood to a couple of ningen and a demon miko is next to impossible as well! Have you lost your mind?"

"No."

"Excuse me, I do believe you have."

"No. Not impossible. I will give my blood and you will give yours. There. Two willing taiyoukai to give blood."

Ruri blanched. "Why me?"

"Because Kagome is needed elsewhere."

"Where?"

"Kagome is a demon miko, and a powerful one at that. She will perform the spell." He then turned away, ending the conversation, and began watching his mate again, a smug smile on his face.

Ruri hissed under her breath. 'Just because Sesshomaru is my best friend does not mean he can force me to give blood to some random ningen female I don't know!' She paced, kicking up dust as she went. She heard Sesshomaru cough and smirked, picking up her pacing pace.

"Stop that."

"Make me."

Sesshomaru was on her in a flash, tackling her to the ground. She yipped in pain, digging her retractable claws into his shoulder. He growled deep in his throat, causing her to hiss in return and dig her claws deeper into his flesh. His flesh puckered where it looked like her claws would come out the other side.

"Unhand me, woman."

"Bite me," she spat.

"Do not tempt me."

Ruri turned slightly green. "Yuck, I don't want your nasty dog slobber on me!" She let go, watching in amazement as the 6 inch holes she had created in his shoulders healed before her eyes. He smirked, lifting her off the ground. "Impressive healing. Cats do not heal as fast as dogs, but we are much harder to wound in the first place."

Sesshomaru laughed. "All cats except your son."

Ruri couldn't stop the laugh that escaped her throat, even though it was at the expense of her own son. "Yes, Maru is rather clumsy. Funny that he's named after you, yet you train his sister instead."

"Funny indeed." He scoffed. "Training Maru is pointless."

Sesshomaru stood, and checked Ruri for injuries. Satisfied that he had not harmed her, Sesshomaru waited as she spoke. "We should join Kagome. We need to continue on to the village." He nodded and walked forward and tapped Kagome on the shoulder. She turned, smiling at him. He felt his breath hitch.

"Hi, baby, you ready to go?" He ignored the strange pet name and answered her question, keeping his eyes trained on the lower lip Kagome was absentmindedly chewing on. He was intoxicated.

He shook his head, ridding his mind of any and all perverse thoughts. "Hai. My brother is probably worried about your safety." He growled despite himself and pulled Kagome to his side, pressing his face in her hair, savoring the scent of lavender and vanilla. She wrapped her tiny arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest.

"You're the only one who'll ever protect me, my love…" she purred throatily as Sesshomaru rubbed his hands down her back. He smiled.

Suddenly, a woman burst through the trees atop a golden stallion. She jumped off the horse, landing gracefully on the ground in front of the couple. She was a Feline.

She bowed deeply before Sesshomaru and Kagome, then rose, a deep despair in her beautiful eyes. "My Lord and Lady, forgive the intrusion."

Ruri cocked an eyebrow. A Feline calling Sesshomaru her lord?

Sesshomaru spoke, thoroughly annoyed. "Yes, cat?"

"I am Mira of the Firenze and I bear urgent news from the West."

Sesshomaru's face grew cold and Kagome buried farther into his chest, if possible. He felt her shiver in fear. "Speak."

"The Western Palace has been lit on fire as an assassination attempt from the South. There are many casualties, but not enough to halt their progress of dousing the flames. They request that you and my Lady return as soon as possible. They fear a war."

Kagome unburied her face and choked down a sob. "And my son? My Shippo?"

"Prince Shippo made it out alive, thanks to your general, and is being heavily guarded on the palace grounds. Over 20 guards are surrounding him, including the general himself."

Sesshomaru nodded and bowed his head to Mira, signaling she should return to the West. She bowed again and jumped back onto her stallion. She whistled and the beast sped away into the woods.

When Mira had disappeared form view, Kagome collapsed against Sesshomaru, sobbing. The rational Kagome was overwhelmed with her emotional instability. 'Why am I crying so much?' But she could not bring herself to stop. Torrents of silver tears cascaded down her pale cheeks and onto Sesshomaru's haori, while her mind pondered the timeline of the last few days.

It had been three days since Kagome and Sesshomaru's mating, much to early for the emotional problems to be due to pregnancy, but it did not hurt to ask. Through her tears, rational Kagome spoke. "Sesshomaru-koi?"

"Hai, koishii?"

"How long are inuyoukai pregnant for?" Her eyes held an innocent look to them and Sesshomaru didn't know how to respond.

He looked at her skeptically, a question in his eyes. "Why?"

Ruri interrupted. "5 weeks normally, but chiyu-inuyoukai have been known to only take about three."

Blanching from the shock of the statement, Kagome fainted.

Sesshomaru caught her instinctively, pulling her against him, then lowered her to the ground. "Thank you for that, Ruri."

"What? She asked!"

"Yes, and you answered, therefore causing Kagome to faint." He sighed and rubbed his temple. "This could make things considerably more difficult."

Ruri nodded, pinning him with a strange look. "We are now in a war against the South and you went off and got your mate pregnant." She laughed.

Sesshomaru growled, sending a punch flying. Ruri dodged and hid behind Kagome's form. Sesshomaru halted. "Hiding behind a pregnant woman, Ruri?"

Ruri hissed. "And if I am?"

"Then you're safe…until you move…" He leaned against a nearby tree. "I'm extremely patient."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

R & R

-Darkness-


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

-With Sesshomaru and Kagome-

"Okay, okay. I admit it; maybe my comment was a little rude, but do you HAVE to kill me every time I make you agitated? It doesn't lead to a very productive relationship." Ruri argued her point from her relaxed position behind Kagome's still form. Sesshomaru was across from her with his eyes closed, leaning on a tree.

"You blamed me for getting my mate pregnant, when you know I have not control over it. There are no magic pills or devices that keep women from becoming pregnant. It's all a game of chance." (A/n: Birth control and condoms much?) He opened one golden eye. "Besides; when I kill you, I can just bring you back again with my oh so wonderful sword." He glared at the object, as if willing it to turn into a killing sword.

Ruri paled and took a huge gulp of air. "But…but…but dying is painful!" She cowered farther into Kagome's stiff back. "And I don't particularly like pain." She held up a hand; in it was a crumpled handkerchief; white in color. "Truce?"

Sesshomaru opened the other eye. "I haven't even got in one punch yet!" He crossed his arms and if anyone were to look closely, they would notice the faint pout on his lips.

Ruri laughed darkly. "If I let you get in one, you'll just take the others; with or without my consent." She laid Kagome on the ground again and stood, facing the pouting Sesshomaru. "So…truce?"

In a flash, Sesshomaru had his sword pointed at Ruri's pale throat. "Hell no." He pushed forward, but Ruri was able to dodge in just enough time to avoid having her jugular ripped apart.

"Whoa… Whoa… Whoa! Watch yourself, Sesshomaru." She dodged again, looking around desperately for her sword, and tripping on her traditional kimono all the while. "I'm not dressed for sparring!"

"I do not care. And this is no spar. This is a death math, Hiss."

She glared at him spitefully. "Don't call me that." She threw a punch at him. He dodged.

"What? Hiss?" He pushed the sword at her again. She dodged.

"YES! FLUFFY!" She threw another punch, surprisingly hitting him in the jaw. His eyes glowed dangerously.

"What did you call me?" He stopped attacking and looked at her with red eyes. "You just insulted the Lord of the Western lands."

"Well…You're trying to KILL the Lady of the Eastern lands!" She spat at the ground and tore her outer kimono off, leaving her in a pair of hakamas and a tank-top like inner kimono that went to her thighs and had a slit to her waist to allow unlimited movement. She saw her sword glinting from its perch on the tree behind Sesshomaru and made a beeline for it.

Sesshomaru was having none of this. He spun to the left and brought his sword across her neck, successfully decapitating her. Blood oozed onto the parched ground as Sesshomaru's eyes slowly lost their red tint.

In the chaos that followed, three things happened: Maru and Mizuki arrived on the scene, Sesshomaru screamed (for the first time since his childhood) and Kagome woke up.

-With Mira-

Smoke clouded her vision in blinding shrouds of grey, black and silver. It was all she could see, and she was a full mile from the Western Palace. Her eyes were watering like she had a waterfall behind her lids and her breath came out in raspy gasps. Talking was no option, so Mira relied completely on her trusted stallion to keep her alive; for the stallion had to read her movements, not her voice, and had to keep a steady track, or else they'd fall to their deaths on the steep cliffs that they currently trod upon.

"Linari, my friend, keep your heading," she rasped, but she, herself, could barely hear the command, let alone her horse.

Like a beacon from heaven; minutes later, the Palace came into view. The stunning towers were glistening from the water that had been thrust upon them and from her strange position, Mira could not even tell the beautiful architecture had been burnt; it looked only as if it had survived a windy rain storm. But, illusions never last in a world where the Gods themselves play nasty tricks, and as Mira rounded the bend, the horrible catastrophe that had befallen the Western Palace came into view.

"Gods…" she rasped again, closing her eyes in agony; the proud home of Sesshomaru, Lord of the West, was demolished.

The only things that stood were the three towers, for they had successfully avoided the blaze of fire. The rest of the Palace was in ruins. Debris were scattered everywhere and the gaping hole in the side of the proud building, glimmered with the leftover embers, still red-hot with hellish light.

A servant approached her immediately and lifted her off of her steed, taking the stallion away to the stables which were, happily, untouched. Then another servant led her through the terrified and mourning mass of people to the General's tent; in which, slept Shippou-chan, the kit-son of Kagome and Sesshomaru.

The General approached her and Mira gasped, withdrawing a little in amazement. The General was female and appeared to be the strangest youkai Mira had ever seen.

Multicolored wings sprouted from her back and lay in iridescent folds behind her. Her hair was a strawberry blonde that flowed to her hips and was kept in a pony-tail at the nape of her neck; the ends of the individual strands decorated with hundreds of rainbow beads. Her eyes were a bright blue and as calculating as Sesshomaru's. Her posture was strong, her scars on her arms and legs were evident, and on her brow was the mark of a lotus flower with black outlined petals and a black center.

"Greetings, Mira-san. I am Yuuka, General of the Western Army." The woman extended a hand which, uniquely, held no claws.

"Yuuka? Where is the famed Koduki-sama?" Mira did not raise her hand to grasp Yuuka's, and eventually Yuuka dropped her own in exasperation.

Yuuka bowed her head. "You arrive too late to meet him, Mira-san. Merely an hour ago, a lone Southern Soldier snuck into our ranks. He assassinated Koduki-sama in order to get to the prince. He did not succeed, however, because as Koduki went down, he plunged his sword, to the hilt, in the enemy's chest, destroying his heart." She sighed and her wings flapped absentmindedly behind her. "I was his second in command and took orders only from Koduki or Sesshomaru himself."

Mira nodded and took a seat on one of the many pillow seats littered throughout the room. "Might I ask, and I do not mean to be rude, of what race of youkai are you, Yuuka-sama?"

"I am a rare youkai. I am a Cho-youkai."

Mira's eyes widened. "A butterfly youkai?"

"Hai, I am."

Across the room, a little boy awoke, calling out the name of his mother. Upon seeing his surrounding, he promptly began to wail. "Okaa-san!"

Yuuka turned and rushed to the child's side. "Shippou-san, please be calm. Mira has returned and she has seen your mother and new father."

Shippou stiffened. "New father?" He stuttered, lifting his blanket to his chin. His eyes went cold and he began to shake in obvious anger. "NO! She did NOT marry that baka!"

Yuuka was aghast at the young Prince's behavior. "Who, Shippou-sama?"

"Inu-baka," he growled, but upon seeing Yuuka's look of reprimand, added: "InuYasha-ne-baka-sama." Hearing this, Mira began to giggle uncontrollably. Shippou stared at her as if she had grown a second head. "What?"

"You believe my Lady to be mated to the half-breed brother of my Lord," Her eyes danced with amusement and mirth, "when actually she is mated with the Lord Sesshomaru!" Shippou's jaw dropped.

"She mated Lord Sesshomaru-sama?"

Though unsure of what reaction it would bring forth, Mira nodded. "Hai, Prince Shippou. You are now a crowned Prince of the West."

-With Kumito (somewhere in the Eastern Lands)-

If anyone were to look at the famed Kumito-sama now, they would have never believed their eyes. His normal composed appearance was in complete disarray. Black lines of dirt smudged across and lined his normally clean face and his once silky, shining, hair was in disorganized and filthy clumps all over his head. His expensive clothing was tattered and worn and his normally flawless skin was coated in cuts and bruises that, though still healing, bled with infection.

All of this disaster had come from one wrong move. He had royally annoyed a traveling bear-youkai and had paid for it in blood. No one in this land knew who he was anymore.

On the beginning of his journey, he was met with stares and crooked bows from the various loyal neko-youkai he met on the way, but none of them showed the type of respect and devotion to him as they did to his mate: the true ruler of the East. He felt positively horrid.

_: How droll…your whining annoys me to no end, and yet I must listen to it anyway…do you not think of my happiness, young Lord:_

Kumito growled in frustration and rubbed his temple, praying that his beast would grow bored quickly and quiet for the rest of the trip.

_I do not wish to speak with you._

_: Why ever not? Have I offended you:_

_You constantly babble on about my various shortcomings. I grow tired of it and only wish for the incessant chatter inside my head to cease…_

_: You complain too much, young Lord! Respect life! Breathe in the smell of roses:_

_You are not one to talk, baka-beast. You constantly complain about me, don't you?_

_: Of course, but that is my job. :_

_You need to be in search of a new employer then. My life is not the best job to be narrating and critiquing._

_: Ah, but the narrating is left to the Gods, and I only critique to satisfy my own amusement. :_

_I thought you said it was your job?_

_: Blasted loopholes…:_

Then the beast quieted, leaving Kumito ever more tired than he had been 5 minutes before. Only one thought continued to jolt through his mind as he walked: _I miss Ruri…_

-With InuYasha-

InuYasha was not in a very good mood. Kagome and Sesshomaru had never come back from their run in the woods and Sango had come back alone, and refused to tell him anything of her obvious encounter with the couple.

Ayame had come back before Sango and currently sat in front of the cooking fire, trying desperately to recreate ramen with the ingredients they found in Kaede's kitchen.

"Damn!" Ayame cried, when a spurt of boiling water leapt out of the pot, burning her exposed legs. "Blast it all…I don't have the patience for this!"

She had come close to recreating her lover's favorite meal, but had not perfected it yet. The noodles did not stay the consistency long enough to soak up the various spices and seasonings and the broth always seemed to taste different than it should when she added the meat.

"InuYasha, what meat did Kagome say was in this _ramen_?"

"I dunno… I think she said chicken, whatever the hell that is…but Ayame, why are you trying so hard to recreate ramen?"

She smiled softly and bowed her head it embarrassment. She mumbled something that was incoherent to the half-demon next to her. "Repeat that?" he said, putting a hand under her chin to lift her face to his.

"Because you like it, and I do it to please you." Her tone of voice wavered and she tore her gaze from his. "But I have failed you, InuYasha, because there are no _chickens _in these lands."

"There must be another meat you could substitute…"

"I would have to change the seasonings—"

"Experiment then; I'm sure I'll like anything you create."

Ayame blushed profusely and looked up into his eyes. A strange adoration filled their honey depths and she was captivated. This was something entirely different then what she felt for Koga; this was more than childhood infatuation; this was genuine love and respect. "InuYasha…please move away. I cannot be blamed for what I may do if you don't…" Realizing she had said this aloud, Ayame gasped and tried to scoot away from the flabbergasted half-demon.

Instead of letting her go, her drew her to him and pulled her into his lap. When she was secured and could not escape anywhere, his mouth descended upon hers in an attack of lips and tongues. They battled for dominance, both being the hot-headed demons they were, though eventually InuYasha's ferocity won out.

When Miroku entered 10 minutes later, the couple was a tangled mass of limbs on the futon, and the room was near steaming. He coughed and quickly grabbed his supplies, hastily removing himself from the room to find his own delectable girl to ravish. (Aka: Sango )

Meanwhile, InuYasha and Ayame were busy creating a bond that would be the awe of generations to come: the first half-demon and demon mating to produce full-demon heirs. And that's the truth: the fetal babes in Ayame's womb would one day be full-demon children, born of a half-breed and an ookami-youkai. (A/n: I didn't feel like writing the full lemon for these two. If you guys absolutely need it, I can maybe rewrite it and stick it in after this chapter; IF you guys message me BEFORE I write Chapter 11)

-With Sesshomaru-

Sesshomaru was vaguely aware of Kagome cradling him against her. All he could _see_. All he could_ feel_. All he could _breath_; was blood: the blood of his dearest friend, shed by his own hand. And to top it all, the sword that he had always trusted was failing him. It would not bring her back to him, and if he did not succeed soon, then the Lady Ruri would be lost to the underworld, never being able to see her precious mate or children again.

"Sesshomaru, you need to calm down and concentrate. Maybe your emotions are causing your sword to not react. Please calm down, love."

His eyes traveled up his love's form, landing on her tearful eyes. "I have made you cry…again…" He closed his eyes, breathing in his mate's unique scent: lavender and vanilla. It calmed his nerves, but he could not stop the tears that cascaded down his face in silent rives of silver.

"No, Sesshomaru, you did not make me cry. I cry because if you do not snap out of this, our baby will not have a father and I will be forced to rule the West without my beloved, and will probably be killed in the process! Come back to me, love. I need you. Ruri-san needs you. Maru and Mizuki need you! Please!" She ran her shaking hands through his hair, crying silent tears onto the silver tresses.

The scent and feel of her tears brought Sesshomaru back from the brink of unconsciousness, relinquishing the hold insanity and pain had on him. He lifted his arms and wrapped them around his sobbing mate, clutching her shaking form to his chest. "Hush, koi. I am not going anywhere. I have a duty to those I love and I'll be damned if death and insanity will take away my honor and the love I've only so newly gained." He then kissed her forehead and rose, gently placing her on the ground and picking up his prized sword, his inheritance, from it's place on the ground.

The Western Lord raised the now pulsing sword above his head and the strange magic of the weapon instantly began to work. He saw the soul-collectors standing around his friend, trying to steal her pure soul. He growled and slashed at them, destroying the, for good. His friend's head and body merged almost immediately and she took her first breath, for the second time.

Her eyes flew open and took in her surroundings. She was sitting in a warm pool of crimson blood, her best friend standing over her with tenseiga and her two children crying silently to the side of her, their knees coated in the sticky metallic blood.

"Sesshomaru…what happened?" She pleaded with her friend, because she remembered nothing; absolutely nothing of the incident that had caused her death.

Before Sesshomaru could speak, Kagome stepped forward, lifting Ruri out of the pool of blood and onto clean ground. She then proceeded to take a sponge and wipe off all traces of the gruesome encounter. "Ruri-chan, how are you feeling?"

"Perfect, Kagome-chan, but I still do not know what happened to me! Sesshomaru and the children will not speak of it." Ruri crossed her arms over her chest and pouted, showing off one pointed fang. "Do you know anything of it?"

"I'm sorry, but I was unconscious, so I have no actual memory of it. But from what Sesshomaru has said, you were attacked by a powerful demon, bent on killing you. Sesshomaru's sword wouldn't save you at first because Sesshomaru was too overcome with grief over your death. Luckily, I snapped him out of it before the soul-collectors could take your soul away. As you can see, he saved you."

Ruri nodded. "And why are my children here?"

"I do not know. They showed up right after the incident and had hopes of speaking with you, but after that they broke down and cried, refusing to speak to me."

Ruri sighed and a tear slipped down her face. "You are a very brave woman, Kagome-chan. I envy you."

"Please, do not. Envy is a nasty emotion to feel towards another being, it breeds hate. I should know." Kagome continued scrubbing, ignoring the awkward silence that had seemed to envelop the two.

After a moment, Ruri spoke. "Why do you feel this way?"

Kagome sighed and stopped her scrubbing. "Have you ever heard of a woman named Kikyou?"

R & R

Darkness!


	11. Chapter 11

-Chapter 11-

-With Ruri and Kagome-

"Have you ever heard of a woman named Kikyou?" Kagome asked, still concentrating on the cleansing of Ruri's garments, having already finished cleaning the older woman's skin. Ruri nodded and scooted closer, allowing Kagome access to her full body. Kagome nodded in thanks.

"She was a powerful healer—a miko; and one of the Shikon-no-kakera protectors." Her eyes turned solemn. "She was killed by Naraku—the foul demon that he was—whilst protecting her demon-lover on the battlefield of the last battle." Kagome interrupted her.

"She was killed the second time."

"Second time?" Ruri asked, incredulously. "There's no way—" she stopped. "Are you saying that Sesshomaru—?"

"No. Nothing like that at all; Sesshomaru had absolutely nothing to do with it. Kikyou's soul was returned by the means of a powerful spell and by a fragmented piece of her reincarnate's soul—me."

Ruri scoffed. "How could you possibly be her reincarnate? You don't look to be more than 18 years old."

"I came here by means of time-travel." Kagome leaned closer. "The well—in InuYasha's forest—is the portal between the two times."

Ruri's eyes lit with intrigue. "Amazing…" she murmured, tugging at her gown. The excess blood had been removed, but the garment was still in horrid condition. "You are not of this time then?" Kagome nodded, looking at her hands. Ruri stood quickly and jumped into the air. "That's why you smell so different! And why you're so intelligent!" She jumped again. "I _knew _you couldn't be normal!"

Kagome's eyes blazed. "Hey! What do you think I am? A freak? You have got to be kidding me! I've been traveling back and forth for two full years. I know all about this time—besides having studied it in my time!"

Ruri laughed. "Calm yourself, Kagome-sama. I merely meant that you do not know the traditions of demons around here—because you are a human! From the future, no less!" Kagome wriggled awkwardly.

"Oh…" she mumbled, tugging at her hair in embarrassment. "Gomen…"

Ruri nodded and left, tromping over to where Sesshomaru sat—tears glistening on his cheeks, though his eyes were dry. "Sesshomaru-sama," she quipped. "I found out something interesting about you…" He glared at her, absentmindedly wiping his face with his hand.

"If you're going to use this as an excuse to make fun of me crying over you—I will make you regret it." Ruri laughed loudly, clapping Sesshomaru on the shoulder.

"No, Fluffy, I'm not! I didn't even know you had cried!" She laughed one last time before plopping down next to him. "I know that Kagome was a human before, and that she is from the future." His eyes widened.

"How did you find out?" He inquired, glaring at her. "Have you been spying on me, Hiss?" She scoffed.

"Hardly…" She leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Kagome told me." She thought this was a great joke and laughed. Sesshomaru glowered.

"I thought you were going to say something of importance." He growled. "And all I received was a fair amount of spittle in my ear." Ruri laughed harder.

Kagome took this laugh as her cue to enter. "Are you playing nice, you two?" She asked, grinning, before being pulled into Sesshomaru's lap. "Oomph! Sesshomaru, what are you doing?" He grinned, showing off his pointed incisors.

"I am talking to you, and touching you. I thought it was obvious." She laughed girlishly and planted a kiss on his cheek. "What are _you _doing, Kagome?"

"Kissing you. I thought it was obvious." He gave a short laugh before pulling down her face to meet their lips. She moaned lightly. His gaze was mischievous when he pulled back.

"No, darling—_that _was a kiss." She grinned and nodded, snuggling into his chest. He held her to him—his sinewy arms wrapped around her girlish waist. Ruri bemoaned about her discomfort before standing and approaching her two children.

Maru and Mizuki looked up when she made a move towards them, their eyes lighting up with love and only fragmented pieces of dark sorrow. She grinned reassuringly at them, opening her arms out for an embrace. They immediately stood from their places on the ground and ran to her, wrapping themselves up in their mother's loving embrace.

Mizuki spoke first. "Okaa, we thought you were dead. We saw you head—" she stopped, almost surrendering to tears. Maru continued on for her. "We are so glad you are alive. There's been a terrible incident." Mizuki nodded—her head rubbing against her mother's chest. "I was almost assassinated." This time, Maru nodded.

Ruri paled. "Who?" she asked, growing more worried by the minute.

"The South," Mizuki replied, pulling out of her mother's arms. "Though I do not know what I did to deserve the attack."

"I do." A male voice answered, and the three neko-demons turned to see Sesshomaru standing behind them, Kagome snuggled under his arm. "My land was attacked as well."

"That still doesn't give up 'why', Sesshomaru." Ruri argued, turning to face him completely. His face was grim and Kagome looked ready to cry. "What is it, you two?"

Kagome spoke, looking crestfallen. "It's my fault." Ruri cocked an eyebrow, urging Kagome to continue. "Kitsubi came to me when I changed, claiming me as his son's, Tatsuki's, mate. I fought against him, as did my friends, and he fell in the battle. Tatsuki is using these attacks as revenge against his father's death and my disobedience."

Ruri looked puzzled. "I don't think it's that simple, my friends. I think Tatsuki is a victim—just like all of us. He hated his father, and was deeply in love with a woman he had met years earlier. His father didn't give approval for them to be mated and, as a result, the woman left, leaving a heartbroken Tatsuki behind."

"What is the reason then, Ruri-chan?" Kagome asked, puzzled.

"Lord Hatsuharu, Kitsubi's only sibling, has always been power-hungry and deadly. I would bet my life that he has imprisoned Tatsuki and taken over the army, claiming the death of both heir and Lord."

"Why would he do that?" Kagome queried, nearly to tears in Sesshomaru's embrace. Sesshomaru answered her. "Because we will fight him and lose."

Ruri nodded. "If we lose then Hatsuharu will inherit the West and the East. The North's inhabitants are all ruffians, so they never signed a treaty. If Hatsuharu wins, he will rule the entire Alliance."

Kagome took a defensive stance. "Why are you so sure we will lose?"

Ruri and Sesshomaru both sported identical grim expressions. "Because Hatsuharu's entire army are either Shape-shifting demons or demon priestesses. The South has the most highly trained army of all the alliance."

Kagome smiled. "But they do not have the Clan." Sesshomaru's eyes brightened. "Or me."

-With Kumito-

He could hear her voice. Like a beacon from heaven itself, Kumito could hear Ruri's voice. Just beyond this patch of woods, if he had heard right and the thought replenished his strength. He brushed back his grimy hair and pressed on, following the sounds of his mate's voice. But something stopped him briefly. He could hear a male's voice with her—Sesshomaru-sama. He paled and stepped back.

_: She is having a tryst with a filthy dog :_

_No, it cannot be. Sesshomaru is like her brother. She would never do such a thing as cheat, especially with Sesshomaru-sama. _

_: What is she doing with him, then, oh brilliant one? In the middle of a forest:_

_Quiet, you filthy thing. I will find out myself what she is doing. She **is **my mate._

_: Fine then. I bet I'm right. :_

_I bet you're not. _

Then, realizing he was having yet another argument with himself, Kumito blocked his mind and started walking again. He must have reacted too strongly. There was no way Ruri would do such a thing to him.

He walked aimlessly for about 500 paces and then came across a clearing. There, in the middle of it, stood Sesshomaru-sama, his Ruri, his two children, and an unknown female. He smiled to himself. He knew Ruri had not dishonored him.

He walked a few paces closer and then called out, earning the attention of all of the demons in the clearing. "Ruri-san!" Her eyes widened and she rushed toward him, pinning him to the ground. She growled.

"Where have you been?" She wailed. "The whole Western Palace is aflame due to your absence! And our daughter was almost assassinated, and she couldn't reach you! Have you completely lost your mind, Kumito-san?"

He grimaced. "I left because I knew you didn't need me. And because I needed to be somewhere where I could re-remember my place at your side. I am not the ruler, Ruri, you are. I am a peasant who was graced with the love of a Lady. Nothing more."

Ruri smiled slightly and got up, helping him to stand. "Silly man—you are so much more. You are a Lord and you are a father to two beautiful children." She touched his arm. "And you are the love of my life. Despite all of your various faults."

At this, the other people in the clearing came to him. His children embraced him—Mizuki longer than Maru—and Sesshomaru gave a curt nod, showing respect. The unknown female then introduced herself.

He almost fainted at her words.

"Hello," she said, grabbing his hand in hers, almost motherly. "I am Kagome Tashio—mate to Lord Sesshomaru Tashio, mother to Shippou Tashio and the babe that lies within me, and Lady of the West." She smiled brightly and Kumito was embraced with a feeling of peace as her scent permeated the air. She was stunning.

"It is an honor to meet the maiden that has finally captured Sesshomaru-sama's heart and soul." Sesshomaru arched an eyebrow. "Oh, calm down, Sesshomaru. The love practically radiates off of the two of you." Kumito smiled wryly. "And congratulations on the new edition."

Kagome smiled even more brightly and moved to stand next to her husband. "Thank you," she replied, nudging Sesshomaru in the ribs. He growled.

"Gomen nasai, Kumito-san." He extended a hand and Kumito took it, smiling. Ruri attached herself to her mate's side and their children stood next to them. Kumito smiled. All was right in the world again.

"My family is together again," he said, wistfully.

Sesshomaru's eyes hardened. "But they won't be for long. The Alliance shall fall if we do not get to the Western Palace immediately." He turned to Ruri. "When we get there, you will need to send a messenger to your army and tell them to meet at Goh's peak—the mountain range at the meeting place of the four lands."

Ruri nodded and ran across the clearing, grabbing her supplies. She returned about 30 seconds later, handing Tenseiga's sheath to Sesshomaru. "We will need to gather your brother and his friends. They will be valuable assets."

Sesshomaru nodded. "Have Maru and Mizuki go to them and bring them to the West." Kumito immediately objected and Sesshomaru sighed. "Fine, Kumito. You and Ruri will go with them as well. Tell them I am taking Kagome straight to the West. The sight of their Lady will raise their morale and she is overdue a visit with her son. We should be their in less than a fortnight if all goes well."

Kagome made a strangled sound and all eyes turned to her. "Sesshomaru-koi, the baby will be born as soon as we reach Goh's peak."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. "How do you know?"

"It will take us about 11 days to reach the West and then another 7 to reach Goh's peak with the army. That's 18 days and I've already been pregnant three, at the very least. That makes 21 days—exactly three weeks, give or take a day."

Sesshomaru cursed. "I will not have my firstborn birthed on a battlefield. We need to delay."

Ruri nodded. "I will have my army go directly to the Western Palace. They can prepare and train with your army until Kagome has the pup."

Kagome made another strangled sound. "The palace, Sesshomaru."

"What do you mean?"

"The Southern assassins burned it to the ground."

Sesshomaru chuckled. "That is one of two palaces, Kagome. The one we are traveling to is directly on the coast. It is where my mother and I spent out days when my father went to war. And where you will spend the next few weeks." He kissed the top of her head. "I am sorry you will be absent the first three weeks of our child's life, Kagome, but the army needs you. I am reluctant to send you to battle, but it is necessary. I am sorry, koi."

Kagome let a stray tear cascade down her cheek. "As long as we prevail, I can survive." She looked up at him. "I want to see my children grow old, Sesshomaru."

"You will, Kagome, and we will have many more children. I promise you this."

With that said, Sesshomaru turned to the Eastern royal family. "Go and retrieve my brother and your army. Send one of your children as a messenger if you must. We are in a great hurry. There is not time for you to travel West and use one of my messengers I am sorry."

The four neko-demons nodded and turned, changing form as they made their way into the forest, leaving Kagome and Sesshomaru alone in the clearing. It was then, when they were alone, that Kagome began to cry. Sesshomaru could only comfort as her soul cried out in pain. He was helpless to stop the anguish his love was feeling, but he could stay by her side as she cried. It may be the last time she'd have the chance.

**R&R**

So sorry that it's so short. I was just trying to fix some loose ends in this chapter. The next one will be set three weeks after this one---it's the birth of the Western heir. Aww…

If you give me at least 5 reviews, I might have a surprise for you.

-Darkness-


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 (_I'll Stand By You_)

_**Oh, why you look so sad? Tears are in your eyes  
Come on and come to me now.  
Don't be ashamed to cry, let me see you through  
Cause I've seen the dark side too.  
When the night falls on you, you don't know what to do,  
Nothing you confess could make me love you less  
I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you, I won't let nobody hurt you,  
I'll stand by you.  
**_

_**So, if you're mad get mad, don't hold it all inside**__**,   
Come on and talk to me now.  
And hey, what you got to hide? I get angry too  
But I'm a lot like you.  
When you're standing at the crossroads, don't know which path to choose,  
Let me come along, cause even if your wrong  
I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you, I won't let nobody hurt you,  
I'll stand by you.  
Take me in into your darkest hour, and I'll never desert you.  
I'll stand by you.  
**_

_**And when, when the night falls on you baby, you're feeling all alone**__**,   
You won't be on your own, I'll stand by you. I'll stand by you, won't let nobody hurt you. I'll stand by you  
Take me in into your darkest hour and I'll never desert you  
I'll stand by you. Oh, I'll stand by you. I'll stand by you.**_

_**((I'll Stand By You – By Carrie Underwood))**_

-On the Coast-

**3 Weeks Later**

The sweltering heat made her pregnancy nearly unbearable. Sweat pooled in little silver droplets all over her body, making her shimmer like a dew drop on a morning glory. Her brown eyes were tired and her body shivered despite the heat. She had been up for hours—watching; watching the sea, watching the air, watching the walls; and she had been waiting—waiting for her love to return.

Over the last weeks, Kagome had refused to cry—not tears of pain or tears of anger or sadness. Her heart ached constantly, but she would not let others see the depth of her anguish. She would not falter before them. She was strong.

He was not home yet, it seemed. It had been a week since he had left to decimate a threat that had made its home in the woods. It was rumored to be one of the right-hand men of Hatsuharu, so Sesshomaru had left immediately. He had not even said goodbye to her—but she was not angry.

The child in her kicked furiously, shooting pain through Kagome's stomach and up her spine. She winced, but did not cry out. Her handmaidens carried on like nothing had occurred. She rubbed her hands over her swollen stomach and felt the child quiet and rest, comforted by its mother's presence. It knew nothing of the world outside—the world that was ravaged by war and disease.

Sixteen villages had fallen to a strange sickness only 3 days ago—simultaneously—one by one. Kagome had watched in horror as Sango and Miroku's village had fallen, leaving her friends grasping to the precious threads of life. They still lived—staying in the North wing of the Western Palace—but they were deathly ill and in horrible pain. They were in quarantine until she had her pup, and then she would attempt to heal them. If she was unsuccessful, they had made plans to be killed on the spot. Kagome cracked her knuckles, forcing her brain to stop feeling the emotional pain.

_My friends have chosen death…_

_: And you hold in your womb a new life. Do not hurt for your friends—your child needs a mother who is healthy and confident. :_

_But I am healthy! That's the problem!_

_: No! It is not:_

The voice in her head sounded so beautifully familiar. She nearly wept from the sheer joy of hearing it. Instead, she collapsed on the ground, rubbing circles on her pregnant belly.

_You can hear me… _

_: Yes, koi. :_

_Oh, Sesshomaru. I miss you so much. The baby is almost here. _

_: I am coming to you…but I am not well…:_

_Sesshomaru?_

_: I have caught what your friends have…the demon was the source. :_

_No! Who is traveling with you? _

_: Koru, Lichi, Suou and Ryo. : _

_Let me speak to Ryo! _

_: I cannot. You can only speak with me. It's our bond:_

_Then relay this message. It could save your life._

_: I shall relay it. :_

_Ryo needs to gather six plants : a narcissus, a morning glory, a sunflower, aloe, one dandelion, and a flower off of a Sakura tree. He then must combine them in the order of their bloom. The narcissus should be last and the cherry blossom first._

_: And the rest of the order:_

_Cherry blossom, dandelion, morning glory, sunflower, aloe and the narcissus—and they must be combined when the narcissus is in full bloom, which means at midnight. Then, when they are combined, he must add water to the mix, creating a salve. This salve must be administered to every one of the sores on your body. Do you understand?_

_: Yes, koi. :_

Then all was silent as her handmaidens shook her. Sesshomaru's voice had left her, leaving her alone and frightened for her husband. But Kagome did not cry—because crying was not allowed. Kagome was strong.

With Sesshomaru

Upon Kagome's instruction, Ryo has disappeared into the night—literally, seeing as he was a shadow demon—to search for the ingredients that would save his Lord's life. He returned moments later, carrying everything but the narcissus.

"We must travel to where the narcissus blooms." He had said, rather plainly, before hoisting Sesshomaru onto a make-shift gurney. Suou helped carry Sesshomaru through the thick foliage, only stopping to pop out joints or drink a few sips of water.

Through all of this, Sesshomaru was motionless. His arms and legs had ceased to function and his body was wracked with fever—but this had not stopped him from fighting unconsciousness to relay his love's important message. Silver tears cascaded down his face and he shook them away—desperately trying to hide his pain from his soldiers. But the tears would not stop—because Sesshomaru was a weakened man—and he would not waste precious energy fighting back tears.

Ryo glanced at him curiously, his black brows lifting considerably when he saw his Lord's silver tears. His expression lightened and he looked away, happy to give his Lord his privacy. Sesshomaru was glad for Ryo's loyalty. Ryo was good friend to the Western Lord.

"Ryo," he said, at nearly a whisper, his voice raspy and weak. Ryo turned his head again, giving Sesshomaru his full attention. "Thank you."

Ryo nodded and touched Sesshomaru's arm briefly. "I will not let them claim you, Sesshomaru-sama. Your heart has only just now unearthed itself from its ghastly prison. You have a love waiting for you and a pup on the way. No," he said with finality, "Death shall not have my Lord."

Sesshomaru nodded. "How is Shiori-san?" He asked, plainly, apparently uncomfortable with the small talk Kagome was so fond of.

Ryo shook his head. "She's wonderful. At the moment, she's rather hormonal, nursing our newest additions."

Sesshomaru's eyes lit up at the mention of children. "How many?"

"Three—Seraphine, Elsbeth and Tilsy. Shiori insisted on original names. Apparently, her brother traveled to a place known as "England" and she fell in love with some of the English names." He shrugged. "I don't mind. They're my three beautiful girls no matter what their names are."

"All girls?"

"This time. We already have two boys—Nikidemus and Loki."

"Loki?"

Ryo laughed. "She let me name our firstborn."

Sesshomaru snorted. "You should have let her name him."

Ryo smiled. "You should sleep, Sesshomaru-sama."

Exhaustion washed over the fallen Western Lord. "Yes, I suppose I should." Then the darkness claimed him, swallowing him—body and soul.

With the Clan

Mira watched, silently, as Sakura went through her various strengthening exercises. Umeko was asleep on the futon nearby, as was Gin and Katakura. Joru was currently in the training dojo with Shippo, Makoto was out with the army training and Shenji was out hunting for the palace's evening meal. Still no one spoke of the sudden disappearance of Zamminni—but Mira knew that this was why Sakura trained so hard. She knew something they did not.

"Sakura, something is wrong." Mira said, plainly. "Sesshomaru-sama has not returned." Sakura stopped mid-slice and flipped around to face Mira.

"He shall return. You know the prophecy as well as I do, Mira—he will return, weakened, and he will be there for the birth of his children."

"Children?" Mira asked, picking up a bow and arrow from their closet. "I thought there was only one."

"No," Sakura said, also grabbing a bow. "But we do not know how many there truly are, I'm afraid." She strapped the bow to her back. "Spar?"

"Gladly." Then the two left, leaving their sleeping pack-brethren behind.

**2 days Later**

Kagome tossed and turned in the massive bed that occupied the Master Suite. It was cold and lonely without her mate and her worry for him grew every day and night he was missing from her side. Her heart was slowly breaking—cracking and disintegrating in the pain of holding back her anguish. She had not cried in over 3 weeks.

She was distant, cold, and sheltered, only leaving her room for meals. Shippo, he own son, had refused to see her anymore because she terrified him. But the inhabitants of the Western Palace obeyed her now—she was just like their Lord—and she kept a firm grip on her control of the country.

In the midst of a terrifying nightmare, somewhere touched her arm—just near the collarbone—and Kagome was up in an instant, shooting up in the bed. "Sesshomaru!" She wailed, clutching the bedcovers in a vice grip.

A cool voice answered her, as a weight was pressed onto the bed next to her. "Kagome, koi…" Sesshomaru had come home at last.

She opened her eyes and faced him, taking in his natural beauty. It was marred, though—marred by the ravaging illness that plagued him. He was paler than normal and his golden eyes were cloudy and bloodshot. He was thin and there were sores and bruises everywhere. But he was here—and he was alive.

"The salve…"

"It worked, Kagome." He ran a clawed hand through her ebony tresses and she shivered. She noticed something odd about his face—tears were rolling down it and he was not bothered by it. "I'm alive—alive to see you once again; and to see my child born."

She felt the familiar sting of tears hit her and she let them fall—for the first time in three weeks.

_**Oh, why you look so sad? Tears are in your eyes  
**_

He reached out to take her into his arms—she fell into them, willingly.

_**Come on and come to me now.**_

She tried to hold the tears back—ashamed of her weakness.

_**  
Don't be ashamed to cry, let me see you through**_

He pulled her hands away.

_**  
Cause I've seen the dark side too.**_

The moon was high and bright in the sky, and its light reflected off his silver hair. She looked away. She was so weak and ugly compared to him.

_**  
When the night falls on you, you don't know what to do,  
**_

She could not let him know how scared she had been.

_**Nothing you confess could make me love you less**_

He rubbed her back and whispered in her ear—

_**  
I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you, I won't let nobody hurt you,**_

"I love you—always."

_**  
I'll stand by you.**_

And Kagome was no longer afraid—no longer weak.

**2 days Later**

The salve was not the cure. The truth had hit them hard the morning after Sesshomaru's return. Soon after waking up that day, he had collapsed and began having fits and seizures—foaming at the mouth more often than not. He was incoherent and delusional, and Kagome was an emotional wreck. The baby was scheduled to come today or tomorrow and her husband was in no place to help her.

She screeched in unholy anger, throwing various porcelain dishes across the kitchen. The dishes shattered against the cool marble floors and walls but Kagome could hear nothing. The sound did not reach her ears.

The Clan had taken up residence in the Royal Wing, claiming that it was their destiny to protect the royal family at the child's birth. Kagome did not argue—she was glad for the familiar company, because she was so alone.

InuYasha and Ayame had taken up residence in the visitor's wing, but Kagome paid no notice to her friends. They were foreign to her—uninteresting and fake to her mind. She didn't know them anymore—she was scarred and beaten; her soul was too impure to associate with such kind creatures as her friends. She had caused the pain that Sango and Miroku were suffering through—she had caused her husband's illness. She had caused the break in the Alliance—she had caused the imprisonment of an innocent prince. She had caused her children to be born in danger.

Tears filled her eyes and she threw yet another plate—watching as it crashed to the floor—like her heart. Anger was a useful emotion—it propelled people to act—but this blind fury, rage and pain that coursed through Kagome was not useful—it made her weak and volatile—a danger to all who came near; a danger to her unborn child. She collapsed to the floor, rubbing her hands along her swollen stomach. Her baby would have a lunatic for a mother. Things needed to change.

…

And change they did. The next morning, Sesshomaru awoke in a cold sweat. His fever had dropped, leaving him lucid and full of his natural spitfire. He immediately called for Kagome and broke down in front of her, and Kagome had stood there, stone-faced, as he purged his emotions onto the stone cold floors of reality. She had been so angry.

Sesshomaru had noticed almost immediately. He had stopped his apologetic tirade and had held out his arms—and, once again, Kagome collapsed in them—angry and frightened—angry at the world, and frightened of it.

He kissed her forehead—telling her, silently, that she could let it out.

_**So, if you're mad get mad, don't hold it all inside, **_

She screamed and yelled at him, but did not let the fury go.

_**  
Come on and talk to me now.**_

He gazed into her eyes—willing her to trust him enough to let it out.

_**  
**__**And hey, what you got to hide? I get angry too**_

His gaze told her of something she had disbelieved for as long as she could remember—he was not her superior. He felt the same emotions as she did. He had a heart—a heart she held within her own.

_**  
But I'm a lot like you.  
**_

She glanced at the door and at her husband—so unsure of where she should be.

_**When you're standing at the crossroads, don't know which path to choose,**_

He stood when she stood, taking her hand. _**  
**_

_**Let me come along, cause even if your wrong  
**_

She glanced at her hands and at his wounds—blaming herself.

_**I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you, I won't let nobody hurt you,  
**_

He grasped them harder, caressing her palm with gentle fingers.

_**I'll stand by you.  
**_

She tried to pull away, but he stopped her with a glance.

_**Take me in into your darkest hour, and I'll never desert you.  
**_

The warmth of his eyes alleviated her fears and her fury escaped—she collapsed into him, her body wracked with angry sobs as she pounded on his chest. But he took it, faithfully, soothing her with calming words.

_**I'll stand by you.**_

And she fell asleep in his arms, content to be held and loved—the anger finally gone.

…

A mere six hours after Kagome had fallen asleep in Sesshomaru's arms, pain had awoken her, causing to shoot up in agony, screaming. Sesshomaru had immediately pulled her into his arms and stood, rushing down the halls to the midwife's selected chamber. They entered, and the midwife was immediately on her feet, bustling around for the necessary supplies. Sesshomaru laid her down on the futon and helped her shrug off the heavy out kimono, leaving her nearly bare, save for a shift. Her swollen belly was highly visible, causing Sesshomaru's fatherly ego to swell and his beast to howl in pleasure—he had helped create the beautiful creature that was awaiting its birth in that womb. He was nearly a father.

Kagome wailed in agony, shouting obscenities about anyone that came to mind. Sesshomaru took it all with a practiced nonchalance, murmuring precious words and administering soothing touches. Kagome calmed at his touch and the pain was more bearable. She smiled, tears coursing down her cheeks.

"I love you," she said, reaching out to grasp his hand. He took it, smiling, and gave it a light squeeze. The midwife joined them moments later, trying desperately to usher Sesshomaru out of the room. When he didn't budge, she flipped around in a huff and propped Kagome in the preferred position for childbirth. The movement made Kagome moan in discomfort and Sesshomaru kissed her hand.

Over 30 contractions later, and a full 4 hours later, the baby made headway. The midwife was adamant then, shooing Sesshomaru out with more vigor than seemingly possible for a demoness that was over 2,000 years old. He had obliged, sympathizing with the old woman—and because Kagome had given him the "ok" signal. The baby was coming—she could handle it.

As he walked outside of the room, he was greeted with the presence of all of the Clan members. They were lined up against the walls, fully armed. Sakura stepped towards him and led him where Shenji and Mira stood. "Stay here, Sesshomaru-sama. Things are about to get messy." Before he could protest, there was a loud scream from the midwife's room. He jolted and snarled, but Shenji and Mira pulled him back.

"The final contractions," Mira said, patting his arm. "The pups should be here now. Just one more push, I suspect."

Shenji nodded as Sesshomaru stumbled over Mira's sentence. "Pups?" He put significant stress on the "s". She nodded.

"The Firenze have been born."

A final, ear-piercing wail issued from the midwife's room and then the Clan and Sesshomaru could hear no more. But, like a beacon from heaven, a baby's cry was heard—like a chorus of archangels. But this was because there was more than one voice in the children's choir he heard. There were three.

Sakura gasped. "A Trinity…"

Sesshomaru pushed past Mira and Shenji, but a loud crash from the midwife's room halted him. The Clan immediately rushed forward and past him—busting down the door with extreme force.

They were met with the sight of Zamminni—Sakura's younger brother, holding the three wailing pups and preparing to exit out the window—pups in tow. The midwife was unconscious and Kagome was painfully tied down—with cord around her mouth to prevent her screams. But Zamminni had been careless—he had knocked over a basin of water. Sakura wailed.

"Zami! What are you—?"

He turned to her. "If I present these children to Lord Hatsuharu, he will give his permission for me to marry his daughter—Harako." His eyes burned with love and determination. She turned her head away and spoke the rest of the clan.

"Seize him."

Sesshomaru pushed past them. "Allow me." He snapped his fingers forward, shooting a spurt of poison and Zamminni's exposed leg. He howled in pain and let go of the children. Sesshomaru rushed forward and caught them—all three of them. Then the Clan hurried forward, binding Zamminni and putting cord over his mouth.

Sakura spat at her brother's feet. "You dishonor me, brother. And you disgust me." Then she kicked him forcefully and left the room, the rest of the Clan following dutifully behind her, dragging Zamminni.

As they left, Sesshomaru undid the bonds on Kagome's form. She immediately reached for their children. Their wailing ceased as their mother held them—their eyes staring up at her with undeniable love and devotion. She smiled, her eyes watered with tears.

"Two girls," she said, gesturing to the two bundles that were on the outside. The one in the middle looked decidedly more mischievous than the two females. "And one boy."

"And they deserve names, my love."

"Triplets, Sesshomaru!" She whispered in awe. "That was why my pregnancy was so horrid! There were three of them in there!" Her eyes were dancing.

"Names, Kagome?"

She blushed. "Yes." She pondered for a moment and then pointed to the babe on the far right. "I'll name this one." Her hair was a deep black and curly. Her eyes were a brilliant green and danced with intelligence and an air of nobility.

_Noble…_

"Arisu," she said, brushing the child's short hair from her forehead. The young girl giggled in happiness.

Sesshomaru looked at the middle child—the son. His hair was the palest blond her had ever seen—like white gold—and his eyes were a bright gold. "I shall name him—our only son." He paused, lifting the boy into his arms. His eyes were mischievous, just as he had seen earlier, but something made him disregard that small fact. This child deserved to be named after someone who was worthy. He wasted no time after that. "Ryo."

Kagome smiled. "Ryo will be honored. Now," she looked at the last child that remained nameless. They glanced at each other as she smiled, hugging Kagome's hand to her body, but then she laughed when her mother tickled her. It was a beautiful sound. Kagome's smile brightened.

"How about Rin?" She asked, reaching out to grasp Sesshomaru's hand. He stiffened, but a smile broke out on his face—brighter than any she had ever seen on him before.

"Yes," he said, finally. "Rin is perfect."

**R & R**

**WOO!! Did you like it?? **

**If you'd like to know:**

**Arisu means noble**

**Ryo means excellent**

**And Rin means companion**

**I didn't get five reviews, so you guys didn't get the surprise. How very sad for you! **


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

_(A/N: Rin has sandy blonde hair and brown eyes. I forgot to describe her. bad girl)_

**With the Opposing Southern Forces**

-Akma Peak: Southern Base Camp-

Lord Hatsuharu Akma Dozua was a proud man. He knew that he controlled the best army and he knew that his wife and daughters were the most beautiful in all of the Provinces. He knew that his son was one of the most powerful swordsmen in the Provinces as well. And he knew that his assassination attempt of the three Western heirs had failed.

His two youngest daughters, Harako and Reimi, stood, stiffly, next to him, glancing at the various soldiers that were pleasant to the eyes. He felt disgusted by them, yes, but he had more important things to think about. His son, Riku, tapped his shoulder.

"Father, the assassination attempt—" he began.

"Has failed," Hatsuharu finished for him, beckoning him to take a seat next to him in his mother's throne. Riku did so, but with a look of arrogance that spoke volumes—he thought himself too important to sit in his mother's chair. Hatsuharu glowered at him. "You should be proud to place your body in your mother's chair. She sired you, you ignorant pup."

Riku bowed his head. "I meant no disrespect to Kari-sama."

Hatsuharu sighed, rubbing his tired eyes with the backs of his hands. "Why do you insist on disrespecting her, Riku?"

"Because she had shown no respect to me, Father—only to her precious daughters. She has five of them, you know."

Oh, yes, Hatsuharu knew. There were five Dozua daughters—Harako, Reimi, Ikana, Elune, and Yoko. And there was only one son—Riku. "Stop fussing over it and get back to your training. We leave tomorrow for the Coast, and if we are quick, we shall be there in a fortnight."

"Two weeks, Father? We'd have to travel without stopping!"

Hatsuharu grinned, devilishly, and cracked his knuckles. "Exactly."

**On the Western Coast**

"_Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared."—Eddie Rickenbacker _

A baby cried. Which one, Sesshomaru didn't know, but he could hear the piercing wail of one of his children—and he could hear the footsteps of his beloved leaving the room. And then he could hear nothing—because the child had ceased to cry and his beloved had ceased to move. They were together…and happy.

It was so surreal to think that he, a man that had once been so heartless and alone, now had a family—and he even had love. Love was something that was very uncommon in the demon royalty—he and Ruri being the only ones that had found it in this past century. Most mated for status or beauty—and there were others that married for the purest bloodlines, whatever the hell that meant. He sighed as he watched the flickering shadows in the nursery doorway and his tired mind drifted away to listlessness. But the nothingness did not keep him long and soon he had the book Kagome had given him open on his lap. It was some rubbish about a knight and his love—rubbish he'd gladly worship if Kagome wished it so.

Speaking of his lovely mate, Kagome had finally left the nursery and was lethargically climbing into their canopy bed. He looked up from his book to see her smiling at him, holding Rin. He would recognize those chocolate brown eyes and sandy blonde hair anywhere. He smiled back at Kagome, and lifted up the sheets on her side of the bed, letting her slide in with ease.

"Sesshomaru," she said, cradling the baby in her arms. "When do you think we'll have to fight?" He put down his book and looked at her with a patient gaze.

"When the war comes to our door, knocking, that is when we shall fight. I will not leave my family for anything less." And Kagome was content with that, because a few moments after, she was asleep, Rin still wide-awake in her arms. He lifted the child from her mother's grasp and cradled her against his chest. Rin cooed, happily, and smiled. He found himself smiling too.

"What do you say we take you back to your brother and sister, ne?" Rin merely snuggled into him, content to go anywhere that her father would take her. He felt powerful in that moment—here was this innocent creature, that knew nothing of the past, and she trusted him completely, without even knowing him. It was a feeling he had never felt before—and it was a powerful thing.

He slipped silently from the bed and walked to the nursery. His other two children were fast asleep—Ryo had his hand curled by his face and was lightly snoring, and Arisu was curled into a strange sort of fetal position, completely silent but breathing. He placed Rin is her cherry wood cradle and handed her a stuffed fox that she had taken a liking to. The little angel was asleep in minutes, and Sesshomaru was free to return to his room.

When he arrived, Kagome was still asleep, but there was something amiss. The sentinels that had been posted outside his door were gone and he could smell the pungent scent of fire. He was immediately running—running through their room to the nursery—with Kagome safe in his arms. He tried to jostle her awake lightly, but ended up hurting her—entirely by accident. She awoke with a howl.

"Sesshomaru! What the hell are you doing?!"

"There is fire somewhere near here. I must get my family to safety. It could be another assassination attempt." He pulled her close as he kicked the nursery door open. The three infants immediately started wailing.

"Put me down this instant! I want to help!" For once, he didn't protest, and let her down gently. Once on the ground, she ran to collect the children while Sesshomaru started packing everything they would need to keep them alive for a week—clothes, herbs, blankets, and Rin's stuffed fox. He and Kagome were finished in a matter of minutes.

"Sesshomaru, I'm not dressed to run or fight if I need to. I need my armor and at least an extra kimono. I have an emergency bag in our room. It's the canvas one with the beads on the strap. Do you remember?"

He nodded. "I will retrieve it. You and the children need to get down to the kitchen and grab all of the necessities. Then go and find Shiori, Ryo and their children—they will lead you to the safe haven. I need to get the bag and then I need to salvage what's left of this castle—or we will be homeless." Then he was gone, leaving behind the only people he had ever loved.

**With Ryo and Shiori**

Even in the midst of crisis, Shiori Rocchi managed to still look her best. Her blood red kimono was clean and her black obi was tied and her children were all accounted for. The only thing that gave her away was her hair, her tail, and her ears. Every time Shiori was stressed or angry, her chin length, copper hair would frizz and her auburn, white-tipped, fur-covered tail would turn unruly and bushy—oh and her ears! _Their_ fur would jut out like jagged rocks and would flip out every which way, despite any of Shiori's attempts to calm the little hairs. She scowled—she was a bushy tailed fox now. Not a scary mommy vixen even—just a bushy tailed fox.

Her youngest children—the three girls—were crying from their packs. All three of them were strapped to her back, their fiery orange hair like piles of carrot peels, sticking out of their blankets. Her two eldest children—a 63 year old (or a 9 year old in human) and a 112 year old (or a 16 year old in human)—the two boys—were fighting.

"Loki! Stop picking on your little brother!" She growled, grabbing her eldest by his ebony curls. "What have I told you?"

Loki glowered at Nikidemus. "He started it!'

Shiori raised a clawed hand, stopping her son's protests. "But you are older, Loki-chan. Niki is almost 50 years younger than you!" She turned to Nikidemus. "Niki, you should know better than to agitate your brother. What would your father think? Or Sesshomaru-sama? He's your hero, Niki, but he doesn't like disobedient followers." Niki gulped, but him mother was not finished. "And Loki! What would Kagome-san think if she saw you now? Oh, how manly, or how stupid childish?" Loki blushed furiously.

Shiori glanced up and beheld the sight of her husband, Ryo, walking towards the family. "Ryo-kun!" She ran to him, throwing herself into his arms, careful not to jostle the babies on her back too much. "What's happened?"

"We're escorting the Lady Kagome and her children to the caves. There has been an attack on the village outside of the castle. Sesshomaru-sama is pulling together the troops now to fight back. Kagome-san will be here any minute, so prepare the children. I need to finish gathering supplies." He handed her a bag. "Sesshomaru handed me this. It's for Kagome-san." And then he was gone, and Shiori was left dumbfounded.

**With Kagome**

She could see Sesshomaru's tall form from where she stood. He was atop the hill, ordering the army about. She had no right to disturb him. His posture nearly screamed power, but Kagome could see the fear as well. She knew him so well. But she could also see that courage he possessed—the courage that would save him and bring him back into her arms. "Be safe, my love, and remember that there is no courage without fear. No love without pain. We will suffer and fight for what we deserve." She pulled her three babes tighter to her chest and walked away—towards her newfound destiny.

She found Shiori and Ryo upon a hill, wrangling their boys and trying to calm their girls. Kagome couldn't help but laugh. "Triplets for you as well, Shiori-san?"

Shiori glanced up, her ears and hair a bushy mess. "Kagome-sama! It is an honor to meet you, finally. Ryo has said so much about you!" Shiori approached her Lady, wary as to not wake the sleeping heirs of the West. "Are these your children?"

Kagome smiled. "Yes. This is Arisu, Rin and," she laughed lightly, "Ryo." The elder Ryo's head flipped around and he bounded to Shiori's side.

"Lord Sesshomaru named his only heir after me?" He bowed his head. "It is a great honor." He called out to his older children. "This is Loki." He gestured towards the eldest of the two.

Loki bowed seven times—Kagome had counted. "It is a great honor, Kagome-san. I have been waiting to finally meet you. I am a big fan!" Kagome raised an eyebrow at the boy.

"Fan? I have fans?"

"Yes! The Club of Kagome—all of the boys that wish to come into your room at night and fu—" Ryo slapped his hand over his boy's mouth and Kagome nearly gagged, knowing what they boy had been trying to say.

"And this is Nikidemus," Shiori supplied, grabbing a hold of Niki's tanned arm. "He's shier than his obnoxiously rude elder brother."

Kagome smiled and extended a hand. Niki took it, rather reluctantly. "Greetings, Niki-chan. I am Kagome."

Niki nodded rather enthusiastically. "I know who you are. You're a great warrior! You and Sesshomaru-sama combined make up the most impressive fighting duo in the entire world. At least," he added, shying up a bit, "that's what I think. I was in the village when you and Sesshomaru saved it. I was staying with my cousin Lichi." Kagome's eyes widened.

"I remember you! Sango was very adamant about protecting you. Did you try to fight the evil demons, Niki-chan?"

He nodded. "I didn't want you to die—or Sesshomaru-sama. You two keep our land safe and take care of all of us; and you're our friends. I didn't want to see mommy cry when she found out I had let you down."

Kagome patted his head. "Listen to me, Niki." He nodded. "I don't want you to fight in this war. Your job is to protect the people who are smaller than you—just like it's Loki's jobs to protect you and your mom and dad's to protect him. You need to remember that."

Niki's eyes welled up with silver tears. "Yes, Kagome-san."

"Thank you, Niki. You are helping me a lot."

A smile warmed his small face before he scampered off to play with Loki once more. Kagome turned to the two parents of the children. "They are wonderful boys, my friends. Though I do think I'll have to discourage this fan group I've gained. It's not exactly the most innocent club to be involved in." She chuckled and Shiori soon joined in. Ryo just blushed. Kagome looked at him with a practiced ease. "What's got you so silent, Ryo-san?"

"Nothing," he replied quickly, shuffling his feet.

Kagome laughed. "You were part of a group like that weren't you, Ryo?" she asked, lightly, watching as Shiori's eyes widened and Ryo flushed.

"Yes," he admitted, looking at his wife. "The Club of Shiori—some of the boys in our village made it up, but I soon became the leader. It was kind of a dueling club as well. Whoever was strongest was deemed the most worthy to mate Shiori-koi."

Kagome grinned. "Did you win?"

He looked at his feet. "No, but I won the girl in the end—through pure affection, devotion and respect." He looked at Shiori lovingly. "I've learned my lesson—beautiful women don't waste their time with the members of disrespectful fan clubs."

Suddenly, he straightened. "It's time to leave now. Sesshomaru has just given the signal." He pointed to a howling dog made out of green smoke in the sky. "We must move quickly and silently." He glanced at the six infants. "Careful not to wake any of the children—we must not be detected. It could be disastrous."

Both women nodded and cradled their children close to them. The two older boys quickly ran to their father, stoic and silent, and then the party began to make their way into the woods.

**With Sesshomaru**

Sesshomaru watched with a pained expression as Ryo led his family into the Shoijin Woods. His heart clenched and he found himself short-of-breath when he saw Kagome's gaze travel to his icy form. He waved, minimally, and she smiled, content that he was alive—for now. How would she react if this war left her as the sole ruler of the West? Would she reject it? Would she kill herself? He shuddered at the thought. The children were not old enough to pose any real obligation to their mother. She could very easily abandon them.

He scowled. No, Kagome would not do that. She was different from the other socialite bitches. She possessed a human's compassion, just as, he realized, he did. He looked over his shoulder at the clustered group of lady maids and grimaced as their piercing cries and screams echoed in his ears. No, Kagome was different.

To his left, he saw his general approaching. He beckoned the graying man forward with a tipped claw. Tatsuo Mahi was 300 years older than Sesshomaru, but age did not appear anywhere but in his hair and eye. His hair was a dark grey opposed to its natural chestnut, just as his chestnut fox ears were tinged with grey. His eyes, once such a bright green, were nearly silver in the right light. But Tatsuo was the strongest and wisest man Sesshomaru had ever known and, since his father's death, had become like a second father.

"Sensei," Sesshomaru spoke, nodding his head. Tatsuo responded in kind, coming to stand next to the nearly-frozen taiyoukai.

"You worry, my boy," Tatsuo supplied, crossing his arms. Sesshomaru looked at the kitsune with something akin to exasperation. Tatsuo smiled. "You worry that Ryo will not be able to handle her—that she will return before she is required and be killed. It is a wise worry." He nodded minimally. "But it is not a good one, I'm afraid. Lady Kagome is strong and intelligent. I truly believe that she knows where she is needed." His smile widened. "Besides, you'll be back in her bed in a day's time, pup—so wipe that depressing scowl off your face and get back to work. Otherwise, the entire North wing is going to burn to the ground!" He started laughing maniacally then, his eyes glistening with tears of mirth.

Sesshomaru growled. "This is not funny, Tatsuo." Then he turned and stalked off towards his quickly burning castle, cursing himself for thinking with his heart and crotch rather than his mind. And as the magnitude of the fire became clear, all Sesshomaru could hear was the sound his Sensei laughing.

READ AND REVIEW!!

OMG! Chapter 13! I finally wrote it! Huzzah!

So sorry it took me so long to update. Harry Potter has consumed me.

Besides, homecoming was Friday and the dance was Saturday…

So I really didn't have anytime.

Love you still,

Darkness


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

- One Week Later -

**With Kagome**

"Do you think he'll be able to salvage the castle?" she queried, wiping a hint of drool from her baby's chin. Arisu gurgled happily and more drool graced her chin. Kagome sighed dejectedly. "Ryo-san?"

Ryo Rocchi looked at his Lady with something akin to desolation. Her heart cracked for him and, as she replaced Arisu in her little papoose on Kagome's back, she moved towards the young man, sympathy in her gaze. "Ryo-san."

He blinked up at her, his eyes blank. "I assume."

She patted his shoulder. "What you are doing is important as well. You do not have to be fighting to make a difference in a war."

He stared at her and her resolve weakened. "You wish to fight as well. Do not deny it, Kagome-sama. The two of us were bred to fight—to protect—not to hide and to fear. We are _fighters_." His pain was evident. She lowered her eyes. "So you agree, Kagome-sama? That this is not where we belong? Good; then we can stop pretending otherwise. We are both miserable; but we are safe." He sighed darkly. "And, to Sesshomaru-sama, it is all that matters."

"Right now," Kagome put in, ready to defend her husband. "Do not think you can accuse him of being indifferent to the feelings of those he cares about. He may look it, but I assure you that he is not. He cares more than you think." Her eyes were fiery in their intensity and Ryo shied away.

"Of course, Kagome-sama," he responded, miserably, his voice cracking. This strong soldier was on the verge of collapse. Kagome could not hold on to her anger. It fizzled away like a brush fire under heavy rain. And then the tears came—tears from an inescapable loneliness that she had kept buried for the whole week they had been gone. She sobbed and lifted her babies from her back, nestling them in her lap. She looked upon them with wet eyes, her tears dropping onto their sleeping faces without abandon.

Suddenly, Rin's eyes opened. She looked at her mother with recognition and lifted a small, clawed hand to capture a tendril of Kagome's hair that had fallen free. She grasped it in her small palm and rubbed her face against it. "O-ha," Rin breathed, continuing to rub the tendril of hair against her face.

Kagome smiled. Demon children grew so quickly. It had been 5 weeks since their birth and they already looked about a year old. But she knew the rules. When they reached three years, their growth would taper off and their growth patterns would become more prolonged than a human's. They would look a human ten for years before they aged. But their minds would continue to grow. She would make sure of that. "Yes, it's me…your Okaa."

Rin grinned, giggling happily. "O-hoo!"

Kagome shook her head, feeling the tears threatening to overpower her again. "No, my darling, not Otou; your father is not here."

"I would not be so sure of that, koishii."

Kagome's shoulders tensed as she whirled her head around. "Maru-chan," she whispered, the tears overflowing and her heart clenching painfully. "You're here. Why are you—?"

He silenced her with a raised finger, tilting his head to the side. Her gaze shifted as she took in the silhouetted forms of about 50 soldiers. Some, she realized, she recognized. The entire Clan was there, huddled around Sakura as she patted her fire stallion's massive head. Mira stood next to her, twisting Linari's reins about her fingers in a mad attempt to stay calm. Behind them was a caravan led by armored soldiers—mostly bear-youkai—and as it came to a halt, a graying man and a lithe woman stepped out of the carriage; both of them were holding glittering swords and wearing spectacular armor. Kagome stifled a gasp.

Sesshomaru beckoned the two youkai forward. As the woman moved, Kagome saw iridescent wings float behind her. They were unlike anything she had ever seen on a demon before. She was transfixed—that is, until Sesshomaru came to her side and slid his arms around her, his chin resting on her head. "These are our generals, koi." He gestured to the tired man, "This is our Sensei and general of the Coastal Armies—Tatsuo Mahi." Then he gestured to the young woman, "And this is our general of the Inland Armies—Yuuko Oragimi."

Kagome smiled and bowed. "I am honored, Generals." She looked at Yuuko. "You are stunning, Yuuko-san."

The lithe woman laughed. "Thank you, Lady Kagome-sama." Seeing the woman's baffled expression, she continued: "I am a butterfly youkai; we are very few in number."

Kagome nodded. "That is why I do not recognize you."

Suddenly, there was a huge racket as the carriage practically exploded. "OKAA-SAN!" The wail was piercing and Kagome's eyes lit up as she recognized it. Pulling away from Sesshomaru, she ran towards the caravan, stopping when she saw a small red-headed demon crying outside of the carriage. Laughter filled the air as she ran forward and enveloped him in her arms. "Shippou," she breathed, crying once again.

With their three infants nestled in his arms, Sesshomaru moved forward to meet them. "I thought that I would surprise you. Otherwise, I would have come sooner—but we were waiting on the envoy from the Inland Castle." He grinned. "There is more for you to see, my darling wife."

Her eyes widened. "More than my son? Sesshomaru, I—"

There was a shout from the back of the caravan. "Get out of my way, you groveling bunch of mongrels. You don't have enough teeth to cut your own fucking meat with! I don't know he stands you!" The voice got louder as the shapeless form got closer until, finally, the shouting man began to take shape.

Kagome smiled. "InuYasha!"

The half-demon grinned, running forward to embrace her—also, pointedly ignoring Sesshomaru's scowl at the intimacy. "I thought you were gone. I was worried about you."

She smiled. "I'd never leave without saying goodbye."

He nodded, putting her on her feet. "I know; but I was still relieved when Sesshomaru sent that messenger."

She quirked an eyebrow, "You were worried?"

"Only a little."

She glanced around him. "Is anyone with you?"

He blushed and she cocked her hip, questioning. She prodded him. "Who did you bring? You're blushing."

He bit his lip, his fang protruding over the tender pink flesh. "I brought my mate…." he admitted, laughing nervously. "I brought Ayame."

Kagome's eyes widened. "Ayame is your—"

"Kago-chan!" a bright voice chirped, coming from the back of the caravan. Kagome went around her friend to search out the embodiment of the voice. She squinted into the darkness as her night vision began to take hold.

But by that time, the quick-footed ookami was already on her. "Kago-chan!" she squeaked, pulling Kagome into a hug. "I'm so happy to see you!"

"Same here….uh…Ayame," she gasped, her breath coming out in pants as Ayame exerted as much force as possible on her hug. Sesshomaru growled in warning as her face took on a purplish hue; and Ayame promptly let go. Kagome sniffed. "Are you with _child?_" she accused, trying to keep her voice low. To her relief, InuYasha was too distracted with arguing with Sesshomaru to notice. Sesshomaru, on the other hand, heard her and lifted his head to smile. He nodded once, issuing his congratulations, before returning to his argument.

Ayame flushed. "You have to keep quiet. I haven't told him yet."

Kagome grinned. "I won't; I promise."

She nodded, relieved. "Thank you." She gripped Kagome's shoulder companionably. "Sango, Miroku and the others are on their way. They're going to bring the rest of Koga's pack too; and any other warriors they can find. We're preparing for a big ass battle, Kago-chan. You know that, right?"

Kagome nodded. "Of course I know; if it wasn't incredibly important, do you think my children would be here? They're tiny!" She glanced at the toddler-sized children. "Well, not that tiny; but still." She cracked her back. "I am so glad you're all here. And with a caravan! I don't think I could carry the three of them on my back anymore. They're growing really fast."

"It's the mix of you and Sesshomaru. You're both incredibly strong; the stronger the demon, the quicker the children grow. It's a defense mechanism…I mean," she adlibbed, but Kagome caught it.

"Defense mechanism?"

Ayame bit her lip, massaging it between her tongue and her demon canines. "I', not talking about everyone but…_some _males will slaughter their children when they are young—especially if there is more than one boy. And the same goes for females, except when there's more than one girl. It's a jealousy thing, I think. But I'm sure you and Sesshomaru won't have that problem. My parents didn't. At least, not that I know of." Her eyes were cloudy with thought. "Well, I guess they could have been."

Suddenly, InuYasha was at her side. "Ayame, shut it."

She snapped her mouth shut, almost crying. "Oh, Kagome, I'm so sorry." She reached out for her friend, but Kagome spun away.

"I can'…I won't…this can't…" she breathed, trying to hold back her sobs. Sesshomaru was behind her in an instant, cradling her quivering body to him as he glared ice chips at Ayame.

"What did your bitch do to her, InuYasha?"

InuYasha shook his head. "I don't know," he answered, not bothering to contradict the 'bitch' comment. Ayame's only reaction was a spasm in her right hand. Other than that, she was silent.

"This was supposed to be therapy," Sesshomaru growled, "Not torture." He smoothed down Kagome's hair, whispering comforting words in her ear. "What did you say, Ayame?" Kagome shook her head on his chest, shaking.

"No," she moaned, "I won't…"

Sesshomaru ignored her pleas, still petting her head comfortingly. "What did you say, Ayame? Tell me or so help me you will pay."

Ayame looked at the ground. "I was explaining why your children are growing so fast; and I mentioned that it was a defense mechanism against…" She bit her lip harder, causing a rivulet of blood to drip down her chin. She sucked it away. "Against their parents; the stronger the parents, the quicker the children grow."

Sesshomaru growled threateningly. "That is not what will occur with our children. Both Kagome and I have better control and purer hearts than that. I would never harm an innocent child. And, you forget, her soul is still human and, with her healing abilities, it would be nothing to heal them." His eyes were dark. "And if it came to the point of healing, I would be a dead man; and I would accept it gladly for what I had done." He kissed the top of Kagome's head. "There is not better defense mechanism than a protective mother."

Kagome sniffled, lifting her head. "Sesshomaru…"

He shushed her with a soft look. "Don't worry about such nonsense; because it will not occur. My father and mother did not such thing to me or to my," he glanced at InuYasha, "brother. And high-bred Inus are the most jealous of all species. But, at the same time, we are the most protective."

Kagome laughed. "In other words: suitors die and our children prosper?"

"Exactly."

**-With Sango and Miroku-**

"This is ridiculous," she muttered, lacing her fingers behind her head as she lounged on Kirara's back, the two-tails' kittens spread-eagle on her abdomen and legs. "How long until we reach the meeting point, Miroku?"

The monk looked up from his map scroll and gave her and exasperated look. "Sango-koi, I know you want to see Kagome and the pups, but I can't have you asking me that every time I look down at my map. I hardly have time to check our current position before your question quips out; how do you expect me to answer?"

She looked down, her ears red. "Sorry, Roku-kun."

"It's fine," he murmured, his gaze traveling back to the scroll. He scratched his head as he perused the fine lines of the new map. Sesshomaru's messenger had given it to him and it looked to be freshly made—but maybe it was just well preserved. "Hmm," he breathed, "It looks as if the meeting place is about a day from here—to the North."

Sango moaned. "A day?"

He grinned. "Yes, Sango, a whole _day._"

Realizing how ridiculous she sounded, Sango flushed. "Heh." She cracked her back, feeling her muscles pull taut beneath her. Abruptly, she sat up, sending the kittens tumbling to the ground. Kirara's tail whipped out to catch them as they fell; but instinct kicked in before she had even moved. The twelve kittens were floating on iridescent clouds of hot air—unable to produce fire yet—their eyes bright with wonder at their own accomplishment. The eldest male, named Koru, did a somersault, showing off to his siblings, even though he was only a few minutes older than even the youngest.

Kirara growled in warning and the kittens turned their bodies and glided back to their perch on their mother's back. By that time, Sango was resituated around Kirara's neck, her legs on either side of the two-tails' muzzle. "Sorry, Kirara."

The cat shook its head. Sango grinned. She looked at Miroku. "See? Kirara loves me. She's not even mad at me for almost flattening her kittens!"

Kirara hissed and Sango screeched as the cat's tail came up to grab her around the waist. The kittens mewled in amusement as their mother hung her master upside down above a mud puddle that was sitting, innocently, by the side of the path. Sango wrestled with the furry appendage, cursing foully.

Miroku laughed. "You were saying, my love?"

"Bastard," Sango muttered, as Kirara's grip released and she went tumbling into the mud puddle. The ooze of the mud crept up her entire body suit and, as she came up, sputtering, it dripped down the back of her neck, making her shudder in disgust. "Houshii," she threatened, "You better help me up before my boomerang makes contact with your face."

He laughed. "Your boomerang is detained."

She looked up and found Kirara with her master's weapon lodged between her jaws, saliva dripping down the glittering wood. Sango cringed. "Kirara, you'll ruin the finish! It took me weeks to sand it that way!"

Kirara cocked her head and pressed harder on the boomerang. Sango's right eye twitched in annoyance. "Kirara, drop it. I said drop it."

Miroku was still laughing. "Drop it? She's four times your size!"

Sango glared at him. "I want my boomerang."

"You sound like a petulant child."

"You usually save that insult for InuYasha," she retorted, standing from the puddle, her face thoroughly coated in muck. "Kirara, can I have my boomerang?"

Kirara looked at Miroku in pity and then dropped the heavy weapon to the ground. It clattered and shook as it hit the hard earth and Sango dove forward, almost immediately, to inspect the damage. It was coated in teeth-marks. Her moue flattened in disgust. "Gross," she growled before, not surprisingly, whipping the huge boomerang around to smack Miroku in the chest. He fell to the ground, groaning, a lump already forming on the part of his head the boomerang had hit by accident.

"You were saying, Miroku?" she taunted, before swinging herself back onto Kirara's back. The great animal shook when the muck of the puddle coated her fur, but Sango gripped her hackles tightly. "I don't think so; you made me deal with, now you're going to deal with it. And, guess what, we have a whole _day _to go."

* * *

Hiya, all! Big Sorry that it took so long on this poor chapter...and that it's so short. But I've been having a lot of issues with my computer at home and have only been able to use the one at school. And since I only have about 45 minutes a day to work on this stuff, when I don't have homework, I'm kinda of pressed thin. So, for a while, there may be a lag between updates, but I'll try to keep it shorter than this last one has been.

By the way, you can blame that on a thing called NaNoWriMo, which ate my life.

Anyways, Read and Review

Hugs and Kisses,

Darkness


	15. Chapter 15

(A/N)

_Sorry, folks, about the long hiatus. Summer's been crazy for me. Multiple jobs, marching band, Band Camp, crazy friends, crazy family, reunions, group trips and my lovable boyfriend all kept me away from you. I've also been working on my second full-length novel, titled "The Dresden Coils". I'm assuming I'll post it on fictionpress in the near future. My other novel : "The Key to Everything" has also reentered my workshop for plot and character development as well as general editing. So…I'm quite busy. BUT I'll try not to forget you all again. I'm going to work my arse off to get all of my ficcies updated by the end of September. Wish me luck!_

_All my love, _

_Darkness_

Chapter 15

-That Evening-

The group made camp in a clearing in the center of the woods but the companionable mood that had accompanied InuYasha, Shippou, Ayame, and, especially Sesshomaru's arrival was long gone. Kagome lay in the corner of her and Sesshomaru's tent, curled around her three children, just as she had been the past three hours. Sesshomaru tried everything in his power to lighten the heart of his beloved, but the realization of the many outcomes that her new demon heritage could create had left her worn and scared. Nothing would reach her. At least, that's what they thought was wrong with her.

As she turned in on herself, her friends and her son worried about her in the tent nearest to the Western Royals. InuYasha couldn't look at his mate. He knew that she had not meant to hurt his friend in this way, but her carelessness still left him angry. On the other hand, Ayame was also angry: angry at herself. She cared deeply for Kagome.

It was true that before the Final Battle, she had despised the human woman—solely because she presented competition with Koga. But as Ayame discovered Kagome's true feelings for the wolf prince and the pure and selfless soul within the priestess, she couldn't help but be enamored and drawn to her. Soon, they were the closest of friends—their relationship only rivaled by Sango, Shippou, Miroku, Sesshomaru and InuYasha's relationships with Kagome. And that was understandable. They had known her longer and they knew her best—Ayame felt no competition.

She wiped an angry tear from the corner of her eyes, feeling the salt burn the tender flesh that was her eyelid. She deserved it. She deserved every painful tear. Wolf demons were not built to cry. So it was agony to be reduced to such pitiful displays of weakness. Literal agony. The heavy amounts of salt in their tears burned their skin. But Ayame did not even wince. She deserved this. She had torn away the happiness of one of her friends with a careless blunder.

"I'm sorry, InuYasha. It wasn't my intention to cause Kagome any pain."

Her only answer was an immature snort. She bristled. "You can't ignore me forever, InuYasha! You need to help me fix this! I'm sure Sesshomaru is beside himself with worry; and so am I. We've never had to deal with her like this. Not on a personal level. Every time she got like this before the Final Battle, _you_ handled it. You healed her. You and Sango and Miroku. But if you stay angry like this, you won't be any help. And we need a healthy, happy Kagome right now. Her children _need_ her as well." He continued to ignore her, but she saw his posture relax a bit. She continued. "Think of everything that she has to live for. She's the Lady of the West. Her country relies on her. And she's a wife, a mate, and a mother. What would Sesshomaru do without her? And she's a friend! What would _you _do without her? What would Sango, Miroku, even Shippou do without her? INUYASHA, think!"

At that, he turned and faced her with fire in his eyes. "We'd die. Kagome is the puzzle piece that holds us together. And you know it. But you're the one that tore her up. And, frankly, I don't know what to fucking do about it! She's in pieces! She won't even look at Sesshomaru. He's on the verge of destroying the whole forest, he's so sick with worry and pain and sadness. All she sees is those children; and even then, it's not a healthy gaze. She's imagining everything that she could do to hurt them—even on accident. And it's killing her! So don't tell me what to do, Ayame. Don't tell me that I know how to fix it. Because I don't! And, believe me, I've thought of _everything!_"

Ayame stuttered into silence as she watched InuYasha collapse onto the ground, shaking with tears. She moved towards him, lifting onto the balls of her feet so she made as little noise as possible. She didn't want him to lash out at her. Then, shaking, she wrapped her arms around him and hummed into his back, sending soothing sounds and vibrations throughout his body as an idea wrapped itself around her brain. "InuYasha, you saw her earlier. She was laughing at the whole situation. And then, just a few hours ago, she just collapsed. Don't you think that it's just a bit odd?" Her voice wavered as she attempted to stay calm. InuYasha was dangerous when he was like this.

Miraculously, InuYasha lifted his head and she breathed a sigh of relief as she noticed his eyes were still a warm, honey-brown. "You're right…something's not right." Suddenly, he stood, bringing her with him and pulling her into his arms. "Ayame, you're a genius! We have to get Sesshomaru. I think I know what's wrong with Kagome…" And, with that, he sped out into the darkness, leaving a stunned Ayame behind him.

-In the Woods-

As his burnt amber gaze followed the hanyou from his tent to the Royal tent, he let out a hiss of frustration. InuYasha had discovered something. His mission was in jeopardy. If Sesshomaru remembered his ability, then it would be only minutes before the Western Lord was upon him, claws and fangs bared, for tampering with his beloved wife.

He ran a scaly hand through his stringy dreadlocks, catching his nails on a few scattered bugs and plants that had collected in the matted tresses. This was very…unfortunate. When the Southern Lord had hired his services, and he had agreed, he had not counted on the hanyou catching on so quickly, nor had he counted on the sheer willpower of the Western Lady. She had fought his attempts at mental manipulation quite skillfully, leaving her only slightly incapacitated. However, it was her emotional wall that had fallen quickly. The Western Lady wore her heart on her sleeve, which had left her emotions easily accessible and easily corrupted.

He grinned in satisfaction. Yes, Yue Kisami had done wonders with Kagome's emotions. He clapped his hands together. "And Yue Kisami has done enough to satisfy his employer," he decided, blinking slowly. "And he will now escape into the cover of darkness." And so he did, twisting and morphing into the serpentine demon form he was most comfortable with. Then, with a low, sinister, hiss, he slithered into the woods and disappeared from sight.

-With Sesshomaru-

"You must speak to me, Kagome," Sesshomaru pressed, agonizingly frustrated, tears springing to his normally icy eyes. "I can't stand this any longer. You've never left me so utterly alone like this." His hands flew to his hair in a very human-like gesture. "And this Sesshomaru cannot deal with it!"

His clawed fist met the soft earth beneath the floor of the tent, sending clods of dirt and rock around the spacious tent. Some even embedded in the coiled, sweaty tendrils of his mate's raven hair. But she did not look away from their children. Even when some dust fell into Ryo's eyes and he let out a wail, she did not move. She watched him with a listless expression as she sucked on a chunky tress of her hair. Sesshomaru was forced to relieve his son of the irritation; which only irritated his father more. "I don't understand this, Kagome. This is not normal."

Suddenly, his idiot half-brother skidded into the tent, his eyes wild and his hair flying behind him. Sesshomaru was poised in an attack-stance in an instant. "What is it, InuYasha?"

"I know what's wrong with Kagome!"

Sesshomaru moved quickly, grabbing InuYasha by the collar of his yukata. "Speak."

"Her mind's being tampered with. She's under attack."

Sesshomaru's gaze hardened. "Explain."

"Earlier, when Ayame first brought up the kid thing, you reassured her. And she was fine. She was laughing. She had gotten _over_ it. A Kagome-thing to do. But, as soon as she settled into the campsite, it was like her soul was drained right out of her. And she got depressed and angry and stopped talking. It was like someone had sucked the passion and forgiveness right out of her."

"Like the Kisami."

"The what?"

"The Kisami—a tribe of serpent demons with telekinetic and empathetic powers; they're, essentially, mind stealers." He cursed under his breath. "Yue."

"Yue?"

"A Kisami that I met many years ago. He was a loner—hiring himself out as a secret weapon almost. When I came across him, he was working for a rebellion leader in the East. I did not hesitate in paying him off and threatening him with instantaneous death if he aided any rebellion in the East ever again; or in the West. He took it to heart and I have not thought of him since. Hatsuharu must have hired him to tamper with Kagome. He knows that she is valuable to me; and that she's powerful. However, what Hatsuharu doesn't know is that there is always a trigger to release one of the Kisami's victims." He moved to hover over Kagome. "Now, we just need to discover what Kagome's is."

-In the Caverns of Kagome's Mind-

She was shrouded in nothingness, watching through dimly lit windows—watching her precious children sleep. She couldn't move at all. She was trapped. And she couldn't hear anything. It was as if they had pushed the mute button on everything. She knew that she should leave. But the darkness was so comforting. She couldn't hurt anyone here. She couldn't hold anyone back. Sesshomaru could raise the children. She would be happy simply watching. It was safe to watch.

But, at the same time, she missed the warmth of his affection. She missed her friends' comforting presences. In the darkness, she was alone. And that didn't suit her at all. She was a social butterfly. She needed other people to complete her.

So Kagome was torn; and it was this tear that kept her here, unsure on where she needed to be. If only someone would open the door so she could see where she was, so she could see if anyone else had followed. If only someone would call out. Maybe then she'd come out.

And in the darkness, Kagome waited, praying that someone would open the door so she could choose where she belonged.

-With Sesshomaru-

"InuYasha, I've tried everything. I've tried her pet names, I've tried talking about her family, I've tried kissing her, hugging her, rubbing her back, combing her hair—everything that would have normally made her happy. I can't think of anything else to do."

"Is there anything that you've done for her that made her cry? Not cry in sadness but in happiness? Even if you only did it once. Or is there something you've done that was a major turning point in your relationship? Something that made her realize what you felt for her?"

Comprehension dawned on Sesshomaru's face. "I know what it is!" Then, to InuYasha's surprise, Sesshomaru flushed red. "But it's terribly humiliating."

InuYasha growled, frustrated. "Kagome is fucking brain-dead, Sesshomaru! She could end up in permanent physical pain! She could be crippled! SHE. COULD. DIE!"

Sesshomaru straightened. "I won't let that happen."

"Then fuck your stupid pride and try the damn trigger!"

Sesshomaru stalked towards InuYasha. "If you so much as chuckle, I will tear your head from its perch on your neck and devour your eyes, nose and ears before I reattach it and let you heal." Then, with a flourish that was a bit-too-feminine, Sesshomaru folded to the ground and tugged Kagome's chin so she faced him. Her eyes were milky with sheer emptiness and it tore and his heart. With an effort almost cosmic, Sesshomaru Tashio opened his mouth and began to sing.

"_Words fall out of my mouth And I can't seem to trace what I'm saying … Everybody wants your time. I'm just dreaming out loud, I can't have you for mine and I know it. I just wanna watch you shine. Tripping up on my tongue, It's all over my face and I'm racing : Gotta get away from you. Burning all the way home, Try to put it to bed but it chases Every little thing I do. When the light falls on your face, Don't let it change you. When the stars get in your eyes, Don't let them blind you."_ It was as if the Gods had washed away a film over her eyes. Kagome blinked once and her hand rose to caress his face. But she wasn't free just yet.

So Sesshomaru started singing again, his soothing baritone sliding over the words like warm milk. "_You're beautiful, Just the way you are. And I love it all : Every line, and every scar. And I wish that I could make you see, that This is where you ought to be … Come down to me_." Her eyes cleared a little bit more. But he wasn't finished. "_Spell it out in a song, Bet you never catch on to my weakness. I'm singing every word for you. Here I'm thinking I'm sly, Then you're catching my eye, and just maybe You're thinking what I'm thinking too. When you see it on my face, Don't let it shake you. I know better than to try and Take you with me."_ At this last sentence, Sesshomaru erupted into tears and Kagome's mouth opened and closed, mouthing the words. And as she woke up from the hateful trance, she sang back to her husband.

"_You're beautiful, Just the way you are. And I love it all : Every line, and every scar. And I wish that I could make you see, that This is where you ought to be … Come down to me_" Then she was kissing him, and the Gods themselves couldn't have made the tears stop rolling down both of their faces. And the moment was so private that even InuYasha, who was so happy to see his best friend well again, had to slip away.

_(A/N: Sorry its so short. I need to hurry and update all the ficcies. Next chapter has some more action : maybe, finally, a meeting between our heroes and Hatsuharu? Who knows! But stay tuned to GotWS to find out! Love always, Darkness.)_


End file.
